MedicAlert Foundation Backs New Health Privacy Rules with Gallup Survey Showing Broad Public Support

TURLOCK, California (March 21, 2001) - MedicAlert Foundation, the nation's leading emergency medical information service, said today it strongly supports the proposed new federal regulations to ensure the privacy of personal health information and has submitted the results of its recent Gallup survey, documenting the importance of health privacy to the American public, to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the ongoing public comment period.

"While we recognize and respect the issues raised by opponents, it is time to respond to consumer demand for privacy", said Tanya J. Glazebrook, the nonprofit foundation's president and chief executive officer. "Strong privacy regulations and trusted privacy policies are absolutely essential for new information technologies to reach their full potential in supporting often critical health care services. Regardless of the final form the new regulations take, MedicAlert plans to continue its leadership role in protecting the privacy of its members' personal health information". MedicAlert Foundation provided testimony to HHS for the development of health privacy regulations at its subcommittee hearings last year. Founded in 1956, MedicAlert pioneered the transmission of patient emergency medical information and has continued to make patient privacy a top priority as information technology advances.

The national Gallup survey commissioned by MedicAlert found that the privacy of personal health information is very important to 77 percent of Americans, and 84 percent said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned that personal health information might be made available to others without their consent.

As a result of privacy concerns, only 7 percent of the respondents said they are very willing to store or transmit personal health information on the Internet, and only 8 percent felt a website could be trusted with such information.

In contrast, 90 percent said they would trust their doctor to keep their personal health information private and secure, and 66 percent said they would trust a hospital to do the same. Only 42 percent said they would trust an insurance company and 35 percent would trust a managed care company.

The new health privacy regulations are scheduled to be instituted on April 14, after a 30-day public comment period ending March 28. The new regulations include broad health record security requirements expected to go into effect in 2003.

Testifying before the HHS subcommittee last year, Glazebrook outlined the many steps taken by MedicAlert Foundation to secure the & information between members, the foundation and emergency medical personnel to prevent any breech of confidentiality.

"Policies and procedures are in place to ensure that our information systems and business relationships honor each member's right to privacy, confidentiality and complete control over his or her personal identification and medical information", she said.

Glazebrook emphasized that, as a nonprofit organization, MedicAlert Foundation does not sell, rent or loan any part of members' records and that all employees, volunteers and service contractors must sign confidentiality agreements. She also noted that the foundation prohibits "data drilling" or other uses and abuses of Internet-related member information.

Recognized by health professionals worldwide, MedicAlert Foundation serves more than 4 million members who wear its well-known identification bracelets and pendants, and is dedicated to saving lives by providing key personal health information quickly and securely to medical professionals in emergencies. It operates a 24-hour Emergency Call Center staffed with trained professionals to provide emergency medical personnel, including emergency physicians and nurses, paramedics, and law and fire agencies, with critical data on an individual's medical conditions, allergies, medications, implanted devices and other information. It also contacts family members to let them know about the medical emergency and where the patient is being treated.

The foundation recently began serving as a national repository for end-of-life medical preference documents, including advance directives concerning life support, resuscitation, organ donation, living will and power of attorney. It additionally serves as the designated national repository for pre-hospital DNR orders for states in which they are recognized and the national repository for Emergency Information Forms for children with special healthcare needs.

In addition to consumer services, MedicAlert Foundation conducts extensive professional education and training programs for emergency responders nationwide, including free training materials.