Hospitals Spy on Your Purchases to Spot Bad Habits
You may soon get a call from your doctor if you’ve let your gym
membership lapse, made a habit of picking up candy bars at the check-out
counter or begin shopping at plus-sized stores.
That’s because
some hospitals are starting to use detailed consumer data to create
profiles on current and potential patients to identify those most likely
to get sick, so the hospitals can intervene before they do.
More at link above.
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The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards
to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information
and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care
providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically.
The Rule requires appropriate safeguards to protect the privacy of personal
health information, and sets limits and conditions on the uses and disclosures
that may be made of such information without patient authorization. The Rule
also gives patients rights over their health information, including rights to
examine and obtain a copy of their health records, and to request
corrections.
With that being said, we can end that spying shit by
paying cash. How's that for "privacy"?
Oh wait, that's right! You're
a suspicious person if you pay with cash for anything. Obviously printing
barge loads of fiat cash is cool, but you better not use any of that fiat cash
to buy anything.
Pattern rationalization anyone? Am I reaching that brain of
yours yet? Ground control to Major Tom...
So here's the summary: We eat unhealthy food, the production of
which is regulated by the government, which has been genetically modified,
intentionally treated and/or processed with chemicals, antibiotics, steroids,
preservatives, pesticides and herbicides, we get sick, and then we rely on
expensive medical care and drugs to treat our symptoms. Now we have
practitioners who inject your algorithm into the mystery machine to let them know when
you buy a pack of smokes, miss your gym time, or go eat that 12,000 calorie
burger and have a few cold Teddy Brewski's with the boys. Then, to top it all off,
we scream and wail over health care reform. And that will ultimately be provided by whom again?
Be sure and tip your waitstaff, I'll be here all afternoon...
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