Take a look:
"Privacy concerns prompt changes at health website" by Jack Gillum, Associated Press January 24, 2015
WASHINGTON — Bowing to privacy concerns, the Obama administration reversed itself Friday, scaling back the release of consumers’ personal information from the government’s health insurance website to private companies with a commercial interest in the data.
Does this government ever $erve money or what?
Okay, the other things to take away from this is the fact that Obama said the NSA wouldn't hold the data anymore, that the telecoms would.
Related: The Many Problems with the DEA's Bulk Phone Records Collection Program
That would be back in Bill Clinton's day, huh?
Then there is the whole idea that this is the same government spying on you that is charged with guarding your privacy. Fox guarding henhouse.
The administration made the changes to HealthCare.gov after the Associated Press reported earlier this week that the website was quietly sending consumers’ personal data to companies that specialize in advertising and analyzing Internet data for performance and marketing.
The same ones that also collect it for this government.
The personal details included age, income, ZIP code, tobacco use, and whether a woman is pregnant.
That prompted lawmakers to demand an explanation, while privacy advocates called for changes.
Analysis of the website Friday by the AP showed that the administration had made changes to reduce the outbound flow of personal information. Before that, the website was explicitly sending personal data to third-party sites.
Reduce it? How about stop it?
The site is used by millions to sign up for coverage under the health care law, or to merely browse for insurance plans in their communities.
The changes were confirmed by Cooper Quintin, a staff technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group. Quintin called it ‘‘a great first step,’’ but said the administration needs to do more.
An administration spokesman did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.
Officials of the Health and Human Services Department had at first defended their information-sharing practices, saying the outside companies only used the data to analyze the workings of HealthCare.gov and make improvements to the website that benefit consumers. There is no evidence that consumers’ personal information was misused, they said.
Yeah, who cares what the government does with your most personal information, and just believe what ever they say. You will feel better.
Created under President Obama’s health care law, HealthCare.gov is the online gateway to government-subsidized private insurance for people who lack coverage on the job. It serves 37 states, while the remaining states operate their own insurance markets.
Glad mine is not one of them.
Two Republican senators, Orrin Hatch of Utah and Charles Grassley of Iowa, called it ‘‘extremely concerning’’ for consumers. Grassley said Friday it’s still unclear how consumers’ information is being used.
‘‘People using HealthCare.gov should have the confidence that their information is secure and not being used for sales pitches by outside firms,’’ he said in a statement.
Or worse.
Third-party outfits that track website performance are a standard part of e-commerce. It’s a lucrative business, helping Google, Facebook, and others tailor ads to customers’ interests.
Because your computer and mobile devices can be assigned an individual signature, profiles of Internet users can be pieced together, generating lists that have commercial value.
Related: NSA Unlocking Your Secrets
Third-party sites embedded on HealthCare.gov can’t see your name, birth date, or Social Security number. But they may be able to correlate the fact that your computer accessed the government website with your other Internet activities.
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What were the concerns again?
"New privacy concerns over government’s health care website" by R. Alonso-Zaldivar and Jack Gillum, Associated Press January 21, 2015
WASHINGTON — The government’s health insurance website is quietly passing along consumers’ personal data to outside websites, just as President Obama is calling for stronger cybersecurity protections.
It would be ironic were it not so irritating.
It works like this: When you apply for coverage on HealthCare.gov, dozens of data companies may be able to tell that you are on the site. Some can even glean details such as your age, income, ZIP code, whether you smoke, or whether you are pregnant.
HealthCare.gov contains embedded connections to multiple data companies that the administration says generate analysis to improve the consumer experience. Officials say outside companies are barred from using the data to further their own business interests.
Yup, this whole ca$h-grabbing tyranny is all for you!
Still, the technology allows for individual Internet users to be tracked, building profiles coveted by advertisers.
Or government.
Connections to third-party companies were documented by technology experts who analyzed HealthCare.gov, and confirmed by the Associated Press. There is no evidence that personal information from HealthCare.gov has been misused, but the high number of outside links is raising some questions.
‘‘As I look at vendors on a website . . . they could be another potential point of failure,’’ said corporate cybersecurity consultant Theresa Payton. ‘‘Vendor management can often be the weakest link in your privacy and security chain.’’
A White House chief information officer under President George W. Bush, Payton said the number of outside connections seems like ‘‘overkill.’’
The privacy concerns come against the backdrop of Obama’s new initiative to protect personal data online, a highlight of his State of the Union message Tuesday night. The administration is getting the website ready for the final enrollment drive of this year, aiming to have more than 9 million people signed up by Feb. 15 for subsidized coverage.
Check the bottom of your shoes, Obummer. Something stinks.
Spokesman Aaron Albright said outside vendors ‘‘are prohibited from using information from these tools on HealthCare.gov for their companies’ purposes.’’ The government uses them to measure the performance of HealthCare.gov so consumers get ‘‘a simpler, more streamlined and intuitive experience,’’ he added. The administration did not explain how it ensures its privacy and security policies are being followed.
Just believe them, and remember the experiences from last year?
Albright said Tuesday that HealthCare.gov comports with standards set by the federal National Institute for Standards and Technology. But recent NIST guidance cautions that collecting bits of seemingly random data can be used to piece together someone’s identity.
Ever since NIST lied about the WTC7 collapse I have placed no credibility in them whatsoever!
In a recent visit to the site, AP found that certain personal details — including age, income, and whether you smoke — were being passed along to advertising and analytics sites.
Third-party outfits that track website performance are a standard part of e-commerce.
All of a sudden I'm not liking e-commerce, what with this and the hacking.
HealthCare.gov’s privacy policy emphasizes that ‘‘no personally identifiable information is collected” by these tools.
Google Inc. said Monday it doesn’t allow its systems to target ads based on health or medical history information. ‘‘We don’t want and don’t use that kind of data,’’ the company said. ‘‘When we learn of possible violations of this policy, we investigate and take swift action.’’
Still, the outside connections surprised a tech specialist who evaluated HealthCare.gov’s performance.
‘‘Anything that is health-related is something very private,’’ said Mehdi Daoudi, CEO of Catchpoint Systems. ‘‘Personally, I look at this, and . . . I don’t know what is going on between the government and Facebook, and Google, and Twitter. Why is that there?’’
I told you why above, readers. Data collection.
Created under the Affordable Care Act, HealthCare.gov is the online gateway to government-subsidized private insurance for people who lack coverage through work.
Third-party sites embedded on HealthCare.gov can’t see your name, birth date, or Social Security number. But they may be able to correlate the fact that your computer accessed the government website with your other Internet activities.
Daoudi’s company found some 50 connections embedded on HealthCare.gov. The AP was able to replicate the results. In one 10-minute visit to HealthCare.gov recently, dozens of websites were accessed behind the scenes, including Google’s analytics service, Twitter, Facebook, and online advertising providers.
HealthCare.gov is serving consumers in 37 states, while the remaining states operate their own insurance markets.
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Look what came in the mail.
Related: GOP split over using budget tactic on health law
Scrap it in the name of privacy, if nothing else!
"Medicare chief says she will step down" by Robert Pear, New York Times January 17, 2015
WASHINGTON — Marilyn Tavenner, the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, who helped preside over the rollout of sweeping changes in the nation’s health care system, said Friday that she was resigning.
“February will be my last month serving as the administrator for CMS,” Tavenner said in an e-mail to agency employees.
Tavenner, who was at the center of the disastrous debut of the federal insurance marketplace in October 2013, had given no public indications that she would be stepping down.
Related: Obummercare Will Make You $ick This Year
I thought it was that, but in light of the privacy issue.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the secretary of health and human services, accepted the resignation in a statement filled with effusive praise of Tavenner.
“Marilyn will be remembered for her leadership in opening the health insurance marketplace,” Burwell said. “In so doing, she worked day and night so that millions of Americans could finally obtain the security and peace of mind of quality health insurance at a price they could afford.”
“It’s a measure of her tenacity and dedication that after the tough initial rollout of HealthCare.gov, she helped right the ship,” Burwell added.
Disgusting.
These people are delusional! No wonder this country is in the shape it is.
The online exchange, a centerpiece of the health law that lets people shop for health insurance policies, was nearly unusable for several weeks after it opened in the fall of 2013.
And now?
Burwell said that Andrew M. Slavitt, the number two official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would become the acting administrator after Tavenner leaves.
Who is he, and why did the web Globe cut the rest of my print.
"Slavitt, who started work at the agency in July 2014, had been a top executive at Optum, a unit of UnitedHealth, one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. Optum helped build and operate the federal insurance exchange, and another unit of UnitedHealth sells health plans to consumers through the exchanges in 23 states.
OMG!
You know, maybe it is time to stop bringing in the guys who made the mess to clean things up because it is a $elf-$erving scam!
Tavenner, a nurse, worked for more than two decades at the Hospital Corporation of America, a commercial hospital chain. From 2006 to 2010, she was the secretary of health and human resources in Virginia, managing Medicaid and other programs.
When she was nominated for the top job at the Medicare agency, she had support from Republican lawmakers, most notably Eric Cantor of Virginia, who was then the House majority leader."
Where is he now?
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Maybe they could get an assist from someone else?
Hey, don't blame me: I wanted single-payer like in "Sicko."
"Vermont protesters say timing ‘unfortunate’; Health care supporters had disrupted prayer" by Wilson Ring, Associated Press January 10, 2015
MONTPELIER — One of the leaders of a State House protest by health care activists said Friday it was “unfortunate” that demonstrators disrupted a prayer during Governor Peter Shumlin’s inauguration but contends the protests let lawmakers know establishing a universal, publicly funded health care system is still a vital issue.
James Haslam of the Vermont Workers Center said some of the protesters moved into the House chamber Thursday after Shumlin completed his inaugural address, not realizing a benediction was being given.
He said no one disrupted the governor’s inaugural speech because they did not want to be disrespectful. When some of the protesters heard applause after the speech, they moved into the chamber.
*****************
Deb Richter, a Montpelier physician and former president of Physicians for a National Health Program, said she felt the protest would have been more effective if it had not disrupted a prayer.
I thought church and state were separate.
“I think it’s good to put pressure on the Legislature, but I think the way this was so disruptive and disrespectful, I think if anything it’s going to work against them and against our issue,” Richter said.
That's a very interesting take -- and would never take down here.
After the inauguration, a number of the protesters staged a sit-in in the House chamber, refusing to leave after the building closed at 8 p.m. The protesters included doctors, nurses, and others “on the front line of a health care system that is out of whack.”
Oh, wow. A real protest!
Shumlin announced last month he was abandoning single-payer....
It was all to get elected, 'eh, Pete?
Related: Governor would outlaw Vermont teacher strikes
He's a Democrat, right?
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Related: Vt. to review contract with MIT economist
What a grub.
Also see: Vermont Democrats seek to toughen background checks for guns
The bill is expected to draw strong opposition in a state that has some of the most lenient firearms laws and highest gun ownership in the country.
Ha ha ha ha ha.
You can't make this stuff up, folks. It's exponentially Orwell, that's the only way I can put it.
Strange how FREEDOM always WINS OUT with the PEOPLE no matter where they live, huh?
NDUS:
Vermont’s proposed single-payer plan at glance
It's the co$ts that are a problem -- you know, the ones that are not when it comes to throwing billions and trillions into the war machine, onto Wall Street, and to well-connected corporate concerns.
God help us all (well, that's an odd way of putting it). Feel like I need a beer -- then I'll count my ble$$ings:
"A controversy has erupted in Massachusetts over an obscure provision of the federal Affordable Care Act that small health insurers say will force them to write fat checks to support the state’s dominant insurer."
So which Congre$$puke got that inserted into the.... ?
And get this disconnect:
"Obama proposes to fund tailored medical research; Initiative could receive support of both parties" by Robert Pear, New York Times January 25, 2015
WASHINGTON — President Obama will seek hundreds of millions of dollars for a new initiative to develop medical treatments tailored to genetic and other characteristics of individual patients, administration officials say.
Oh, yeah?
Where is the money coming from in this age of austerity, and privacy will certainly be protected, right?
The proposal, mentioned briefly in his State of the Union address, will be described in greater detail in his budget in the coming weeks. The effort is likely to receive support from members of both parties, lawmakers said.
Oh, yeah? All of a $udden the gridlock narrative is no more?
“This is an incredible area of promise,” said Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, a gastroenterologist. “There will be bipartisan support.”
Anytime a politician and promise are together, well....
Obama called it precision medicine, but the terms “personalized medicine” and “individualized medicine” are also used to describe the evolving field in which, for example, a doctor prescribes a medication that targets a specific mutation in a patient’s genes.
No wonder everything is bipatri$an: this is going to be a boon for the pharmaceuticals that are so powerful and which have such a foothold on the American people with their mind-altering concoctions.
The money would support biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health and the regulation of diagnostic tests by the Food and Drug Administration, officials at the two agencies said.
The tests analyze the DNA in normal or diseased tissue. Doctors use that information to identify patients with cancer or other diseases who are most likely to benefit from a particular treatment — and those who would be harmed or not respond at all.
Sounds great. This lying, looting government that likely served the interests that gave you the cancer in one form or another is going to help you by DNA typing everyone. Good thing I have a government that doesn't engage in massive data collection, etc. Whew!
“In some patients with cystic fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable,” Obama said in his address to Congress last week.
The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was discovered by a team that included Dr. Francis S. Collins, who is now director of the National Institutes of Health and an architect of the new initiative. The FDA has approved a drug for patients with a genetic mutation responsible for some cases of the disease.
Ever look into depleted uranium exposure?
What's the status of Fukushima lately (as it leaks 300 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific each and every day, day after day)?
And the general pollution in the air, land, and soil?
A patient taking that drug, William Elder Jr., a 27-year-old medical student in Ohio, was a guest of Michelle Obama at the State of the Union speech.
$elling it, huh?
Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Michigan, chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, who is on the committee, welcomed Obama’s proposal. After holding hearings and round-table discussions last year, they said they were drafting a bill to encourage biomedical innovations.
As a senator in 2006 and 2007, Obama offered a bill to do just that — the Genomics and Personalized Medicine Act. Senator Richard M. Burr, Republican of North Carolina, was a cosponsor of the 2007 bill.
“Most medical treatments have been designed for the average patient,” said Jo Handelsman, associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “In too many cases, this one-size-fits-all approach is not effective.”
Dr. Ralph Snyderman, a former chancellor for health affairs at Duke University, said he was excited by Obama’s initiative. “Personalized medicine has the potential to transform our health care system, which consumes almost $3 trillion a year, 80 percent of it for preventable diseases,” he said.
Haven't we had enough of that?
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Yes, yes, this Congre$$ is only looking after the people -- just like the last Congress, I know.
Of course, the news last week was the argument and split over an abortion bill that is going nowhere.
