But even so, it's unlikely to bar your HMO and health care providers from sharing your health information with each other.
Many people think their medical records are confidential.
By passing this act, Congress gave itself until August 1999 to pass legislation on keeping medical records private. So Donna Shalala, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, is now required to issue privacy regulations by February 2000. What's complicated is that there are two legitimate concerns in opposition here. Many people, understandably enough, don't want strangers to be able to look up intimate details about their health. Yet when the personal health information of a great many people is compiled and analyzed, it can reveal vital information about the effectiveness of treatments, and ultimately lead to better health care for the general public.