Threat To Patient Privacy: The Minnesota Health Information Exchange

Privacy??...Where is HIPAA???..the state will have an open door to everyone's medical record...and the health department was given the money to set up interconnectivity..but it was never cleared by the legislature...the attempts to require patient consent were repeated rebuffed...I do believe they are correct in the fact that people will not want to visit the doctor as this information is made readily available and where does it go from here...BD

The Minnesota Health Information Exchange announced by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is a serious threat to patient privacy, and patient control over medical treatment decisions, says Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC). Twila Brase, president of CCHC, provides the following reaction to recent announcement:

"State government will soon have a wide open door to everyone's medical record. A 1993 law gives the Minnesota Department of Health full access to medical records. "Although public outrage forced the Minnesota Department of Health to withdraw their proposed data collection rule in 2003, the law was never repealed. The law specifically says no patient consent is required.

"The 2007 legislature gave the health department $2 million this year to update the interconnectivity of their computer systems, allowing them to connect with health plans and electronically tap into everyone's medical record.

"Once patients understand that government can access their entire medical record, they will be less likely to seek medical care, or to fully disclose all the details necessary to receive the right care."

"The Information Exchange was never cleared by the Legislature. It was never even discussed.