The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has asked for public
comments on the final medical privacy regulation published by HHS last
December. As your constituent, I strongly urge you to oppose any delay or
weakening of federal privacy protections.
I believe it is essential that the federal government finalize rules to
protect patient privacy. In the absence of legal safeguards, new technology
allows for virtually unlimited access to medical records without patient
consent. Privacy in health care is important because medical records may
contain sensitive information, and the doctor-patient relationship is built
on trust.
The medical privacy regulation published by HHS last year establishes in
federal law for the first time that medical information belongs to the
patient and should not be disclosed without consent. It also gives patients
the right to inspect and correct their own records. Please do not let HHS
take away these important privacy rights.
Once again, I urge you not to delay or weaken the medical privacy regulation
and to permit it to become effective in April. If changes are to be
considered, I support strengthening privacy protections by limiting access
to medical records by law enforcement agents and marketers. But in any
event I oppose efforts to delay or weaken the regulation.
Thank you for considering my views. I look forward to hearing your thoughts
on this important matter.
