Eliminate an expansive definition of health care operations, a major privacy loophole in many bills. Patients must be able, if their preference, to pay for heath care out of pocket while still maintaining complete privacy. As a psychiatric physician from your state I urge you to add your support and influence to ensure that any Senate HELP Committee confidentiality of medical records legislation includes protections necessary to protect privacy and insure high quality health care. If possible add several short sentences in your own words saying that confidentiality is essential to high quality health care. If you can provide an example you know of a harmful disclosure of medical records information this would be very helpful.
Psychiatric information requires the very highest level of privacy protection.
For this reason the mere possibility of disclosure may impede the development of the confidential relationship necessary for successful treatment. I urge you to insure that protections are included in this legislation that are adequate to protect the effectiveness of the medical treatment of mental illness. Protections for highly sensitive mental health information be provided. The informed, voluntary, and non-coerced consent of patients must be protected. Expansive definitions of health care operations loopholes must be eliminated.