HIPAA (or the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) passed in 1996 and has been touted by legislators, physicians, patients, and health industry leaders as a law that protects patient medical data privacy. It turns out, as with the names of many laws that pass in Congress, the act does the exact opposite as what you might guess. The act allows for over 2.2 million entities in the US to trade, disperse, and sell your personal medical data without your consent.
My guest, Twile Brase, is a nurse who is an expert on electronic health record laws and medical data privacy. She has just written a new book called, Big Brother in the Exam Room, which describes in detail the extent to which data is being collected and used without any of our consents. This is occurring despite many people (including most physicians and other ancillary health care personnel) thinking that HIPAA passed to protect our medical information from being disclosed.
Contrary to what many people believe, those HIPAA forms you sign at the doctor's office, pharmacy, dentist office, etc. is not a notice that your personal health information is being protected. It is a form that states that you agree that you had a chance to review the HIPAA disclosure form. If you sign the form, the medical entity can share, sell, or trade that data with 2.2 million other entities. If you don't sign the form, the medical entity can share, sell, or trade that data with 2.2 million other entities. In other words, HIPAA made your medical information freely accessible without your consent whether you read the disclosure form or not.
Twila has been in the business of advocating for our privacy for a long time. She co-founded the Citizen's Council for Health Freedom (CCHF), is an active public speaker, advocates for stronger privacy laws in state legislatures, and is cited in numerous print and television outlets. Her organization, CCHF, is advocating for a strengthening of state privacy laws, repeal of HIPAA, and for patients to stop signing the disclosure form and become aware that HIPAA doesn't protect their data.
show notes
Big Brother in the Exam Room: This is the other place to find Twila Brase's book if Amazon is out or you just don't want to give Amazon your business.
Citizens' Council for Health Freedom: The organization Twila Brase co-founded to advocate for a better health care system and patient privacy.
Twila Brase: Twila Brase's twitter handle where you can follow her.
Join the Wedge: Twila's site to advocate for an end to the Affordable Care Act
Episode 006 Dr. Ken Fisher and our discussion on Electronic Health Records
Episode 011: Dr. Michel Accad and a discussion on population health care
Memorial for Andy Larson: This is the donation link to honor Andy's death with the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys where he blossomed and served as a head chorister.
YouTube for Paradocs: Here you can watch the video of my late son singing his solo on the Paradocs YouTube page.
Patreon - Become a show supporter today and visit my Patreon page for extra bonuses. Every dollar raised goes towards the production and promotion of the show.
