Health Insurance Net

There is a potential problem in regard to the use of personal health records or PHRs online in that the companies that offer this service are not under any federal laws. There is a federal law called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which is referred to as HIPAA, but it does not apply to these companies. The law relates to information that is traded between health-care providers, health insurers and those clearinghouses that are involved in the processing of health care payments. Since the companies processing health care records and data are not included in this list, the law, according to Kevin Lyles, who serves as a partner in the health-care practice of law firm Jones Day's in Columbus, Ohio, does not apply. You deal with these companies on faith hoping that they won't do anything with your personal health information.

Protection for the Consumer

It seems that the legal system is still behind when it comes to how patients are employing health information. Lyles says that at the present time a congressional bill is pending in Congress directed are broadening the authority of HIPAA so that it will be able to cover all health information. He system that when all health information is available online, this is the direction that we will be taking. It will become necessary to protect that information that can be anywhere on the Net.

Google and Microsoft, which are providing a health records service online, will be working to allow those using the information to control the degree of access that they will allow various parties to have. This will include the ability to revoke that access at any time.

Georgetown University's Joy Pritt say that it is still however, necessary or the consumer to be aware of two important documents, the privacy policy and the terms of use. Lyles says that there needs to be clarity regarding ownership of the information being made public. He believes that it is the consumer who is required to make sure that the companies using their data are honest and straightforward because companies change their policies at any time. It is even doubtful that you will be aware of any sudden changes of policy that can affect your personal health data. Few companies send out privacy policies every year and most consumers anyway do you read them for changes.