PROTECTING PRIVACY TO IMPROVE HEALTH-CARE

No comprehensive federal law now protects the privacy of people's medi cal records. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act o f 1996 mandates that if Congress fails to enact such legislation by Au gust 1999, the secretary of health and human services must promulgate regulations. This paper argues that health privacy legislation Is nece ssary both to improve patient care and to enhance the reliability of t he health information used for research and public health initiatives. Within this framework I review pending federal health privacy legisla tion and make recommendations for moving forward.