US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening
- The US government is seeking unprecedented access to Americans' medical records amid weakening data protections, raising privacy concerns.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act provides narrower protections than commonly believed, allowing some sharing of covered health records.
- Since spring 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has requested federal access to medical records to study vaccine-related issues.
- Officials claim that the data will be anonymized, but researchers warn that de-identification often fails to protect individuals in detailed datasets.
34 Articles
34 Articles
The Conversation
US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening
You might assume that what you tell a doctor stays between you, your physician and perhaps your insurer. But the reality is more complicated. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal privacy law that governs health information and is commonly known as HIPAA, is narrower than its reputation suggests. It regulates hospitals, physicians, insurers and their business associates, but not the health data you generate everywh…
US government is pushing to gain unprecedented access to your medical records – as data protections are weakening
by Jennifer D. Oliva, Indiana University, [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] You might assume that what you tell a doctor stays between you, your physician and perhaps your insurer. But the reality is more complicated. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal privacy law that governs health information and is commonly known as HIPAA, is narrower than its reputation suggests.…
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