<p class="text14-black"><i>On Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:22:50 -0700, Kelly Anderson <<a href="mailto:kellycoinguy@gmail.com">kellycoinguy@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</i></p><p class="text14-black"><i>On Sat, Feb 11, 2012 at 4:26 PM, Stefano Vaj <<a href="mailto:stefano.vaj@gmail.com">stefano.vaj@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</i></p>
<p class="text14-black"><i>
> 2012/2/11 spike <<a href="mailto:spike66@att.net">spike66@att.net</a>><br>
>>There should be a database somewhere, where people can dump medical
information, while stripping out identities, so that we can find this kind of
signal in the noise.? I am surprised something like that doesn?t exist
somewhere.? We could maintain patient privacy while still perhaps filtering out
these oddball correlations...<br>
><br>
> Yes, this would be a very good idea. Not that I understand why privacy<br>
> should really be a primary concern for terminal cancer patients...<br><br>
It isn't. But it is a primary concern for doctors and hospitals due to</i>
<i><br>
the ridiculous HIPPA laws here. I have heard that there are some<br>
databases with info stripped out, but I forget the details of who has<br>
it and why.<br><br>
-Kelly</i>
</p>
<p class="text14-black">-------</p>
<p class="text14-black">As someone in the healthcare industry who used to bill
private insurance (before I moved into socialized medicine via Dept. of Veteran’s
Affairs) and had clients with privacy concerns, I am aware of the following
medical databases. This info is particular to the US
and Canada,
and identifying info is not stripped out as it’s essential to the function of
these databases. Nevertheless, the data is there and could be scrubbed for data
analysis, I imagine. It’s too bad such massive repositories are only created by
entities motivated to maximize profits for shareholders. Public health is not
of concern to them, IMHO.</p>
<p class="text14-black">-Henry</p>
<p class="text14-black">From: <a href="http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8-med.htm">http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs8-med.htm</a></p><p class="text14-black"></p>
<p class="text14-black">The <strong>Medical Information Bureau</strong> (MIB) is
a central database of medical information shared by insurance companies.
Approximately 15 million Americans and Canadians are on file in the MIB's
computers. About 600 insurance firms use the services of the MIB primarily to
obtain information about life insurance and individual health insurance policy
applicants.When you apply for life or health insurance as an <em>individual</em>,
you are likely to be asked to provide information about your health. Sometimes
you are required to be examined by a doctor and/or to have your blood and urine
tested. If you have medical conditions that insurance companies consider
significant, the insurance company will report that information to the MIB.The
information contained in a typical MIB record is limited to codes for specific
medical conditions and lifestyle choices. Examples include codes to indicate
high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, or depression. A code can signify
participation in high-risk sports such as skydiving. A file would also include
a code to indicate that the individual smokes cigarettes. The MIB uses 230 such
codes.It's important to remember the following about the MIB:</p>
<ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style>The MIB is <em>not</em>
subject to HIPAA.MIB files do <em>not</em> include the totality of one's
medical records as held by your health care provider. Rather it consists
of codes signifying certain health conditions.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style>A decision on whether to
insure you is not supposed to be based solely on the MIB report.</li><li class="MsoNormal" style>The MIB is a consumer
reporting agency subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
If you are denied insurance based on an MIB report, you are entitled to
certain rights under the FCRA, including the ability to obtain a free
report and the right to have erroneous information corrected. See the <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/business/credit/bus07.shtm" target="_blank">Federal Trade Commission's website on insurance decisions</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal">And</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="text14-blackbold">IntelliScript and MedPoint</span>
are databases that report prescription drug purchase histories to insurance
companies. Like the MIB reports, IntelliScript and MedPoint reports are used
primarily when consumers are seeking private health, life or disability insurance.
Prescription drug databases can go back as far as five years, detailing drugs
used as well as dosage and refills.<br>
<br>
With a history of prescription drugs in hand, insurers may make assumptions
about medical conditions and assess the risk of writing an insurance policy.
Information in an IntelliScript or MedPoint report may prompt an insurer to
deny coverage for certain conditions, increase insurance premiums, or deny
coverage altogether. Such adverse actions by insurance companies trigger a
sequence of consumer rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).<br>
<br>
Until recently, use of prescription drug databases was unknown to consumers.
Insurers' use of these databases first came to light in 2007 when the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) sued Milliman, the owner of the IntelliScript database,
and Ingenix, Inc., owner of the MedPoint database.</p>