Posted by Article on 8/21/2002, 5:47 pm

Bush Administration Issues Patient Privacy Standards After a decade of debate, the United States finally has its first set of comprehensive federal standards governing the privacy of people's computerized medical records. Under the rules issued by the Bush administration, physicians and hospitals can share information about patients without their permission with managed-care and insurance companies. But they can do so only for the treatment of patients, the payment of bills, or to carry out a "broad, undefined category labeled health care operations,' " the Washington Post reports. [Take Note Friends] People gain the right to inspect their medical records, correct mistakes, learn who has looked at their records, and "seek penalties against anyone who misuses the information," the newspaper says. The administration says it struck the right balance between privacy concerns and the need for timely medical care. Advocates for privacy, however, say the new rules, which take effect next April, don't do enough to protect people's privacy. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D.-Mass., says he plans to introduce a bill to overturn the regulations.

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