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Advocates for justice, consumer access to the courts, and accountable government
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  Medical PrivacyIn December 2000, following a lengthy, thorough, and robust rule-making process, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final medical privacy rule as part of its obligations under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The medical privacy rule contained a number of important provisions, one of which required health care providers to obtain a patient’s consent prior to releasing or using her personal health information. The consent requirement included in the final rule was based on the determination by HHS that consent plays a crucial role in patient health. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration revoked this important patient right on August 14, 2002. As a result, instead of requiring health care providers to obtain a patient’s consent, the government will now provide "regulatory permission" for the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information. Public Citizen is working with a coalition of patient and consumer groups and advocating the passage of legislation to restore patients’ right to medical privacy. Learn more about the Medical Privacy Rule:
Public Citizen Submits Comments Strongly Opposing Proposed Revisions to the Medical Privacy Rule President of Public Citizen Testifies in Support of Important Regulatory Protections more resources
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