[privacy] Medical Records Catch-22

["Fergie" <fergdawg () netzero net>]

Wow.

Via The Zone Labs "Internet Security Zone" Blog.

[snip]

This is a tough situation: While attempting to protect medical records,
laws have actually made it harder to investigate medical fraud.

The LA Times reports on a recent incident in which a retired school
teacher is billed for the alleged amputation of her right foot --
actually having to send notarized photos of that foot to prove the
doctors didn't actually remove it!

How did all this happen? An ID thief actually assumed her identity to
receive medical treatment, presumably having a foot removed and in the
process rang up the bill the school teacher received. While attempting
to investigate this case of ID Theft, the victim found that the very
laws made to protect her medical privacy were interfering with her
ability to investigate her own medical records.

[snip]

More:
http://blog.zonelabs.com/blog/2006/10/medical_records.html

- ferg


--
"Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson
 Engineering Architecture for the Internet
 fergdawg(at)netzero.net
 ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/

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