Issue Brief Summary

Health Information Confidentiality:
Are We Sleeping While Technology Erodes our Privacy?
November 18, 1998

Analyzes the complex issues associated with medical privacy and the confidentiality of health information, which cuts across legal, regulatory, ethical and practice dimensions of health care. How do policy makers balance the individual right to privacy with the demands of health data collection and sharing to meet the goal of improved health. Focuses on the current environment, in which there is no comprehensive federal medical privacy law and where states have a varied "patchwork" of laws that address only parts of the broad issue. Offers overview of federal efforts related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), pending federal bills and states' legislation. Discusses implications of federal bills, some of which are designed to preempt already-existing state laws. [11pp]

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