Sunday, April 27, 2008

Universal Healthcare & Privacy

I don't know what to think about Universal healthcare. I think it's necessary and important, and that it should include dental, but besides providing for the health needs of people, I have a couple of questions and concerns.

My first one is a question. I know how it is to be discriminated against by doctors and clinics, when one is on "state aid" insurance. I've had good insurance and then I've had state insurance, and the way one is treated is significantly disparate. HUGE difference. So this makes me wonder, if everyone has the same kind of insurance perhaps this will eliminate at least the surface and immediate discrimination?

My concern is privacy. Which ties in with discrimination. With the state insurance, doctors all sign up to provide through the same HMOs and they can easily go into a database and find out who you're PCP is, and where you're going, and by making a phone call, can discuss your conditions (even in violation of HIPPA).

I imagine having national insurance would mean even less privacy, and that raises serious concerns for me. I don't have AIDS, but if someone DOES, with national insurance, wouldn't it be easier for one doctor to find out and make connections with other doctors? Doctors who are married to men whose best friends work in the same corporation? doctors whose family members have a long-standing rift against someone who sued their cousin, for failing to detect AIDS?

I don't know. I'd have to know how the data is stored and how it is accessed and about the security. Computer hackers can get into anything. So what kind of security is there if everything is on one database which, if a hole is made or found, is left open to others?

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