Resources for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Diverse Groups Demand Privacy in Electronic Medical Records

www.heartland.org

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-MA) federal proposal establishing an Electronic Health Information System has prompted representatives from 47 state and national organizations and health IT companies to call for stringent legislation to protect patients' privacy.

S. 1693, The Wired for Health Care Quality Act, would set up a nationwide, interoperable health information technology system, creating a paperless health record network. The system is touted as a way to improve health care quality and reduce skyrocketing medical costs by providing easier access to health care records.

The bill's scheduled November 13 vote was postponed for further negotiations in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Finance Committee.

Ashley Katz, spokesperson for Patient Privacy Rights--an Austin, Texas-based group--said once those negotiations are complete, a vote could take place at any time. Patient Privacy Rights is part of a diverse group, called the Coalition for Patient Privacy, that's joined forces to lobby for greater consumer protections in e-health records.

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