Bennett-Leahy Bill

Bennett-Leahy Bill

A bill designed to promote the efficiency and security of the health information infrastructure so the healthcare community can exchange and transfer health information in a way that ensures the confidentiality of personally identifiable health information.

The BLB was proposed by senators RF Bennett and P Leahy, and intended to create safeguards to:
(1) Prevent misuse of privileged medical information—e.g., using medical information to create marketing lists, or denying a person health insurance; and
(2) Allow patients access to their own records in States that do not already do so.
 
Cons
The healthcare databases would contain considerable personal information, allowing access of that information to database companies and a newly created class of “health information trustees” (e.g., insurers, universities, medical researchers, employers, police and courts, state and Federal agencies, and others).

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