If the plant is successful, much of this waste will be diverted to be used as fuel. It will compete with the still-dominant Hokkaido Electric Power, the island's former power monopoly. Using plastic as fuel will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions by 15 to 20 percent, compared to conventional power plants, but the amounts of other gases could be higher. But the chip's architecture is left open to a degree that allows original end manufacturers to make modifications that optimize the chip for use in a particular application. The rules, which apply to paper and computer records as well as oral communication, require health care providers to obtain written consent from patients before using or disclosing medical information for any purpose.
Patients also have the right to inspect and copy their records and suggest corrections.
The rules faced strong opposition from the health care industry, which lobbied to delay their implementation until the government could respond to the industry's objections. The modifications are part of a package of changes suggested by Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy G. Thompson. For past issues of Newslog, please visit our archives.