Guest Post by Ron Paul
Last week, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill amendment to repeal the prohibition on the use of federal funds to create a “unique patient identifier.” Unless this prohibition, which I originally sponsored in 1998, is reinstated, the federal government will have the authority to assign every American a medical ID. This ID will be used to store and track every American’s medical history.
A unique patient identifier would allow federal bureaucrats and government-favored special interests to access health information simply by entering an individual’s unique patient ID into a database. This system would also facilitate the collection of health information without a warrant by surveillance state operatives.
The health records database could easily be linked to other similar databases, such as those containing gun purchase records or education records. If mandatory E-Verify becomes law, the health records database could even be linked to it, allowing employers to examine a potential employee’s medical history.
The possibility that the unique patient identifier system may be linked to a database containing information regarding gun ownership is especially disturbing given the bipartisan support for “red flag” laws. These laws allow the government to deny respect for someone’s Second Amendment rights without due process and based solely on an allegation that the individual is mentally unstable and likely to commit an act of gun violence. Combining red flag laws with the unique patient identifier system would leave a gun owner who ever sought psychiatric help for any reason at risk of losing his ability to legally possess a gun.
Unscrupulous government officials could use medical information to harass those whose political activities challenge the status quo. Anyone who doubts this should ask themselves what a future J. Edgar Hoover or Lois Lerner would do with access to the medical information of those involved in political movements he wishes to silence.
The unique patient identifier undermines one of the foundations of quality health care: the doctor-patient relationship. Accurate diagnosis requires that patients share intimate details about their lives — ranging from details about their diet and exercise habits to their sexual history and alcohol and drug use — with their physicians. If patients legitimately fear information shared will be compromised, they will be unwilling to be completely honest with their physicians, making it impossible for physicians to effectively treat their patients.
Proponents of the unique patient identifier claim it will improve efficiency. But, in a free society, the government should never endanger privacy or liberty for efficiency. Besides, when has any government intervention in health care ever improved efficiency or increased patients’ or health care providers’ satisfaction with the system?
The unique patient identifier system puts the desires of government bureaucrats and politically powerful special interests ahead of the needs of individual patients and health care providers. Instead of further intervening in health care and further destroying our privacy and our liberties, Congress should give patients control over their health care by giving them control over health care dollars through expanding access to Health Savings Accounts and health care tax credits. In a free market, patients and doctors can and will work tighter to ensure patients’ records are maintained in a manner that provides maximum efficiency without endangering privacy or liberty.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
The circles are becoming smaller and smaller. The noose around everyone’s neck is becoming tighter and tighter. Welcome to the world of progressivism/socialism and slavery.
We have long passed the point where anyone can honestly consider themselves “law abiding”. The CFR is a stack of books over 8 ft in height or some such – and we are supposed to obey those. Then you have state, county and municipal laws on top of those. The weight of that versus our founding documents tells quite the story in itself.
My feeling, after reading this article and thousands of others over the last decade, is that the best thing for us to do is to pay our politicians to stay home and STOP passing legislation. Let’s just send them a check and let them sit on their asses at home. They can still run for office (might be worth it if there is zero work involved in garnering that paycheck) but they have to sit at home and be on permanent vacation.
Imagine the savings in money and bullshit they constantly inflict on us.
Imagine if we did not have to worry about new laws being enacted.
Imagine if we had time to figure out how to optimize working within the same set of rules for more than a few years.
Imagine if Democrats and Republicans no longer mattered, because they were just electioneering to get that ‘no work paycheck’ instead of the myriad.
Imagine if politicians could no longer vote themselves special privileges and raises…
Yep – that’s a political movement I would definitely get behind…
The 1 invention(?) which may cause humans the most pain may quite possibly be the database.
Is this genuine nazism? This is how the master race eliminates all others?
A truly bad idea. Frankly the government has no right to mandate this kind of invasion of privacy. We can see the ‘octopus’ of the Establishment getting more and more intrusive everyday. We must all do the maximum we can to resist this kind of autocracy. For my part, I will not willingly or otherwise participate in such a program.
the unholy alliance between dna sites & facial recognition
https://www.theorganicprepper.com/the-unholy-alliance-between-dna-sites-and-facial-recognition/