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Ron Paul introduced H. R. 2630
Representative Ron Paul introduced H. R. 2630 on May 21, 2009 and it was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
THE BILL
To protect the privacy of patients and physicians.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Protect Patients and Physicians Privacy Act'.
SEC. 2. PATIENT RIGHT TO OPT OUT OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS SYSTEM.
All individuals shall have the ability to opt out of any Federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system for maintaining health care information.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF STANDARD UNIQUE HEALTH IDENTIFIERS.
(a) In General-
(1) Section 1173 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d-2) is amended by striking subsection (b).
(2) Section 1177(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1320d-6(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (1).
(b) Prohibition of Federal Expenditures- No Federal funds shall be used to support, encourage, or otherwise promote the use of standard unique health identifiers (such as those described in section 1173(b) of the Social Security Act, before the amendment made by subsection (a)(1)) in any Federal, State, or private health care plan.
SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT OF INFORMED CONSENT FOR SHARING INFORMATION FROM ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS.
(a) Limitation on Sharing Information From EMRs-
(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), no information from any electronic medical record maintained by a health care provider and created pursuant to a Federally mandated, created, or funded program may be shared with another health care provider absent a signed, informed consent from the patient involved.
(2) EXCEPTION FOR EMERGENCIES- Paragraph (1) shall not apply in a medical emergency.
(b) Limitation on Merger of Information- No health care information from an individual medical record shall be placed in a Federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system of health care information, absent a signed, informed consent from the patient involved.
(c) Definitions- In this subsection:
(1) INFORMED CONSENT- The term `informed consent' means, with respect to the sharing of information concerning a patient, a written document certifying that the patient gives permission to such sharing of information.
(2) MEDICAL EMERGENCY- The term 'medical emergency' means any situation where the failure to provide immediate medical treatment or assistance could result in serious injury, loss of life, or both.
SEC. 5. PROVIDER FREEDOM FROM REQUIRED PARTICIPATION IN AN ELECTRONIC HEALTH CARE RECORDS PROGRAM.
(a) In General- The Federal Government may not require a health care provider to participate in any Federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system of maintaining health care information.
(b) Limitation- No health care provider shall be denied participation in, or otherwise sanctioned with respect to participation in, a Federal health care program because the provider refuses to participate in a Federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system of maintaining health care information.
This bill would:
* Make clear that "All individuals shall have the ability to opt out of any Federally mandated, created, or funded electronic system for maintaining health care information." This means no forced participation in a national database!
Repeal section of the HIPAA law that requires everyone to be assigned a Unique Health Identifier (UHI), which could be a biometric identifier.
Require consent before patients' electronic medical records can be shared.
Make clear that providers can't be forced to use electronic health records.
This bill supports the views of most Americans who strongly favor health privacy, and reject the idea of a national medical-records database and medical ID numbers (see: www.forhealthfreedom.org/Gallupsurvey/IHF-Gallup.html).
