Why Does the Government Want Your Emergency Room Records?

Your name. Your address. Your diagnosis. Your emergency room visit. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reportedly wants hospitals to transmit identifiable patient records through a private third-party contractor by the end of the year. The government says the information could help identify dangerous products. But that does not explain why officials need to know exactly who the patient is. Where are the safeguards? Who can access the database? Could the information be shared with other agencies? What happens if the contractor is hacked, misuses the information, or sells it? Going to the emergency room should not automatically enroll Americans in an undefined government surveillance system. This week’s worst: turning private medical emergencies into government data. Stay fierce. Stay independent.