Civil Rights and Privacy - Big Brother in YOUR Life

The Florida LegislatureLegislators are Anti-Privacy
Legislators Won't Protect Privacy One of the most important tenets of American Life, is the right to privacy. In this realm, no other privacy issue is more important to the American Public than protecting ones Medical History. In fact a Federal Bill/Law was written, at least in-part, to assure patients of privacy regarding their Medical Records. This Federal Measure, Bill/Law, known as HIPPA, has very specific rules as to how your medical information is disseminated. The Florida Legislature is currently taking steps, right now, through Representative Fasano's bill "SB 462." (go to florida.gov for the full bill) to circumvent our Federal HIPPA Laws and allow your personal Prescription information to be posted and disseminated on the Internet. Bypassing the Federal HIPPA Law already in place for some time, Fasano's bill, "SB 462" will place your Prescription information on an "Online Database" or "Web-site." This "Web-site" will not only breach your personal Prescription information, but by virtue of the type of Prescription(s) you receive from your Physician, it would be fairly easy to figure out your diagnosis, or what kind of illness or disease you have or are being treated for. In addition to this Web-site/Database having your personal Prescription information "Online," it will also display the following; 1) Your Full Name, 2) Your Full Address, 3) Your Telephone Number 4) Drivers License/Passport Info and 5) Your Social Security Number. Of course the number of problems that can arise because of this are many. With the Internet Security breaches that have been perpetrated within the last Decade, do you, the voting, taxpaying Public want even more information about you on the Internet? Especially something as vitally, important and private as Medical History? The Legislators supporting this Bill will tell you not to worry that your information will be "password protected," but that cannot stop the type of breaches that happen on a daily basis on the Internet. Other issues such as getting a job, and/or getting fired from a job due to Medical History, getting Health and Life Insurance, being able to rent or buy a house will take on new meaning and be issues that will have to be dealt with. Once Florida Legislators Pass this Bill, SB 462, and the information is on the Internet, it is there forever. They can never put the proverbial horse back into the corral. If this legislation seems to you like a silly, and possibly illegal (because on the surface it appears to violate HIPPA) thing to do, it gets a little bit sillier when you find out that, according to Legislators, the "start-up cost for this Bill will be AT LEAST (emphasis added) 20 million dollars. Coming from a "General Fund," that is already has a AT LEAST (emphasis added) 5 Billion dollar shortfall. We all know where the money is going to come from; the good, honorable, hard-working, taxpaying voters of the State of Florida. (several other states are considering similar Legislation) Last Week (March 2009), the Georgia Legislature, rightly voted down similar Legislation for obvious reasons. Please contact your Local Representative, the Governor, et.al, and ask them to do the same. Demand that they vote "NO on Fasano Bill SB 462." Let them know that you do not want your Prescription Drug information in an online database and DO NOT not pass Representative Fasano's Bill SB 462.