Pubdate: Sun, 3 Apr 2011
Source: Tampa Tribune (FL)
Section: Letter of the Day
Copyright: 2011 Jeffrey P. Meyer
Contact: http://www2.tbo.com/static/tools/contact-us/
Website: http://www.tampatrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446
Author: Jeffrey P. Meyer
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v11/n101/a01.html

NO DRUG DATABASE AND NO DOLLAR

It is disheartening to see presumably serious politicians such as 
Attorney General Pam Bondi and state Sen. Mike Fasano argue without 
nuance and without specifics that a prescription drug database 
represents a meaningful solution to a serious issue.

In the early days of the computer age, coders created one of the 
first catchphrases of the cyber era -- "garbage in, garbage out." 
Without necessary controls over what goes into a database that by its 
very nature invades the privacy of those whose personal information 
is included, it is almost certain that the database will be misused.

The health and life insurance industries have created something 
called the Medical Information Bureau, an Orwellian name for an 
Orwellian creation. The Medical Information Bureau is a repository of 
diagnostic, treatment and other private information about persons who 
may apply for health or life insurance. On its face, the concept is 
legitimate   a potential life insurer should know, for example, if an 
applicant was diagnosed with a terminal illness days prior to filing 
an application for millions of dollars in life insurance.

The devil, unfortunately, is in the details, and the concept 
underlying the creation of the Medical Information Bureau can and 
often is twisted to serve the sometimes nefarious objectives of 
health care providers who insert false information into the database.

Unfortunately, the Medical Information Bureau provides aggrieved 
citizens with no remedy other than the health care provider deciding 
to fess up and admit that he/she entered erroneous information in the database.

Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation and its Department of Health 
assert that they are powerless to act in response to proven abuses of 
the Medical Information Bureau.

If the prescription drug database is created, will the state deign to 
set meaningful access parameters or create a process by which a 
citizen can secure the correction of an erroneous entry? It is hard 
to believe that giving bureaucrats control over enormous amounts of 
sensitive personal data represents a legitimate solution to any problem.

Gov. Rick Scott should be applauded for resisting the pressure being 
exerted by the "We're from the government, and we're here to help 
you" crowd. Personally, I would not lend any of these politicians a 
dollar, and I surely do no not trust them with my private medical or 
prescription drug information.

Jeffrey P. Meyer

Tampa 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake