Health Care Reform Is Not An Invasion Of Privacy

Floor Speech

Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Speaker, a few moments ago, we heard one of the most outrageous charges I've seen in many, many days and heard in many days around here concerning the health care bill. The notion that somehow the health care bill overrides the HIPAA law that's more than a decade over is foolish nonsense.

The privacy remains for every individual in America under the HIPAA law, and in no way does the health reform bill invade or change in any way the HIPAA law, which provides privacy on all medical records, whether they are with your local doctor, the clinic, the hospital, the Federal Government. Whether you are on Medicare, Medicaid, or whatever program you are in, your privacy is assured by a decade-old law. And what will be before us in the days ahead is a change not in the HIPAA law, but in other sections of the laws pertaining to health care in America.

There is absolutely no truth whatsoever that the privacy of individuals are in any way changed by the bills that we will be taking up in the days ahead.

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