The National Partnership has also been working behind the scenes to make sure medical information is kept confidential, including the medical records of minors who get care on their own. Lichtman joined the President and HHS Secretary Donna Shalala in an Oval Office ceremony to unveil the proposed regulations. Although the new regulations are an important step forward, they are limited in scope. HHS has only limited regulatory authority over medical records that are stored or transmitted electronically and cannot regulate all of the entities with access to patients medical information. We are working with HHS to make sure their final regulations help as many women and families as possible, and we will continue to fight in Congress for more comprehensive medical privacy protections.
Health care is certain to be a hot topic in Washington for many months to come.