As Congress again rushes through another Economic Recovery Act along the lines of the infamous September 2008 700 Billion Campaign Election Fraud Act which precipitated in part this now crisis, few in the media have accurately reported a provision contained within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that is going to pull quite a few Americans eventually up short in the Civil Rights abridgements now so carelessly discounted by both the 110th and now the 111th Congresses.
It appears instead of representing "change," the Obama Administration and 111th Congress are akin to that old Herman’s Hermit’s ditty, "I’m Henry the VIII, I Am" with the "second verse, same (or worse) than the first."
The ramifications of a Congressionally created national health care database for all Americans now and in the future defies description and boggles the imagination. Sanctioned by the Democratic Party as a "job stimulus" once again for the private sector and major universities which would be involved in such a massive undertaking and the future costs involved in maintaining such a system appears that the Obama Administration and Democrats, for all their whining and hollering about the provisions of the Bush Administration’s egregious actions post 9/11, have beat the Republicans and Bush one better.
As presented, this database is in order to eliminate the possibility of mistakes with respect to medical tests and treatments, but it will have more far reaching effects now and in the future, in my educated opinon. Not to mention that government bureucrats will have your medical history and personal information available at the touch of a button, but so will others on a "need to know" basis.
The creative definitions for those "needing to know," will also become the subject for lawsuit upon lawsuit, and one Civil Rights abridgement after another. These records would be maintained from birth to death, without any "opt out" provision. Even Orwell didn’t imagine such a scenario, an avowed Marxist.
Imagine if you were to be diagnosed as HIV positive, or had sought counseling with a mental health professional during a tramautic divorce, job loss or other major life change.
Imagine how difficult it might be then to find insurance coverage at affordable rates and comparison shop (other than the "cheaper" government universal health care Obama also wishes to institute with then the government bureaucrats themselves deciding whether or not needed treatments would be covered).
Imagine when lawyers then are allowed access in the event of a medical malpractice claim or divorce proceeding, or an employer as a part of your reference checks.
Just imagine how many people will have access to the most private information of all – your physical health and past treatment records.
Imagine also how much this could actually economically result in fewer jobs once these e-records are on a national database resulting in loss of jobs in the private sector.
And the potential that citizens will avoid treatment until their conditions are either terminal, or have actually progressed to a chronic condition requiring more expensive treatment. Imagine how much this will impact the quality of the doctor/patient relationship in having the government actually a partner now in your medical decisions, in addition to private insurers.
Imagine how many health care providers could be adversely impacted themselves when patients willfully withhold vital information of communicable diseases (such as hepatitis or HIV) for fear this information becomes public. If you doubt the truth of the implications or the provisions themselves, several reputable independent news sources and grass roots organizations are disclosing what Congress and the media are not.
Do a Google search, or visit the Congressional website and read the provisions yourself.