Dan Joling of Associated Press reports that voters in Alaska will be voting Tuesday on a ballot measure as to whether a parent or guardian must be notified if a pregnant girl under 18 seeks an abortion. Ballot Measure 2 pits the anti-abortion advocates Alaska Family Council and Alaskans for Parental Rights vs. Planned Parenthood,…
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Simple Mailing Mistakes Could Now Be HIPAA Violations Under New HHS Fundraising Rules
Covered entities would be wise to become familiar with the new July 14 proposed rules for fundraising, which could turn an accidental mailing into a costly mistake. One expert says the proposed fundraising rules are straightforward overall but that it is more revealing to look at the areas where HHS is seeking comments. The final…
Panel drafts privacy recommendations for health data exchanges
Jaikumar Vijayan reports: A “tiger team” that advises the federally charted Health IT Policy Committee will submit a list of recommendations on Thursday for ensuring the privacy and security of personally identifiable health information in Health Data Exchanges. The recommendations were developed in response to a specific set of privacy-related questions raised by the Office…
Japan plans to make mental health exams part of employee checkups
Over in Japan, the government is planning to require all private sector employees be screened for mental health problems as part of their regular company medical exams each year. Physicians will ask a few questions, and depending on the employee’s answers, the physician may make a referral that the employee should be seen by a…
CMSS Joins 'Red Flags Rule' Lawsuit Against FTC
What happens when you try to prevent ID theft by imposing new requirements on entities? Everyone wants out from under. Cheryl Clark reports on today’s installment of “Not me, please:” The Council of Medical Specialty Societies, which represents some 650,000 U.S. physician specialists in 34 societies, has announced its participation in a lawsuit to exempt…
Fla. Court Wrongfully Compelled Medical Treatment of Pregnant Woman, Appeals Court Rules
In a follow-up to a disturbing case previously covered here and here, finally some respect for privacy from the courts: The state of Florida cannot compel a pregnant woman to comply with medical treatment to protect the fetus unless the state shows a compelling interest that overrules the woman’s constitutional right to make her own…