The federally-run exchanges, euphemistically called “new health insurance marketplaces,” are accompanied by collection of a wide variety of personal data, which can now be legally shared numerous faceless government agencies — agencies which previously had to snoop, steal, or spy to get it. No longer will any of our intimate medical details be reasonably considered either private or protected.
To facilitate this forfeiture of individual privacy, the Department of Health and Human Services has created a massive, comprehensive database to record and store Americans’ personal information called the Federal Data Services Hub. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that the purpose of the Data Hub is to provide “electronic, near real-time access to federal data” and “access to state and third party data sources needed to verify consumer-eligibility information.” No longer will any of our intimate medical details be reasonably considered either private or protected.
OK, now I better understand. As I am not an US citizen, I am not affected by it, but you are right, that this seems to be a scandal of its own. But you also can see it complementary to all the surveillance stuff. It just seems, that the Obama gov. does not care to much about the privacy of US people.
I think, this road taken, by the country, that once was the big model for many countries like the one I live in, is a really bad omen for freedom in the whole world.
I don't currently know. The socialized medicine is not the problem. We once had a system, that the full records where hidden from the health funds. But I think, recently this principle was weakened -- but not because of "socialized medicine" but just because of the infamous "electronic health card" -- governments like to play with new technical gadgets (that bring more costs and bureaucracy and no gain).
