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Rep. Paul Introduces Bill to Stop Medical I.D. Number

August 9, 2001 Volume 4, Issue 6

The medical privacy of every American citizen is to be compromised unless Congress passes Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-TX) recently introduced “Patient Privacy Act” (H.R. 2615). The Patient Privacy Act would repeal certain sections of the Clinton-endorsed Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which calls for “the establishment of a standard unique health care identifier.” H.R. 2615 would also bar any federal funds from being used in the construction or maintenance of a federal healthcare database.

Imagine: your most sensitive medical information, stored in a federal database, and managed by faceless bureaucrats who can retrieve your information and share it with whomever simply by submitting your unique medical identification number. If this scenario comes into fruition, and it will unless the Patient Privacy Act is passed, not only will Americans no longer have a confidential patient/doctor relationship, but full-fledged socialized medicine will be on the verge of reality. Hillary Clinton will be closer to her dream of a national healthcare system. A system where poor quality medicine comes at a steep, steep price, and patients have no choices.

Rep. Paul’s Patient Privacy Act is in dire need of support if the U.S. is to avoid this anti-Constitutional debacle. Rep. Paul points out: “History has shown that attempts to protect the privacy of information collected by…the government are ineffective at protecting citizens from the prying eyes of government officials.” For example, how confidential is your social security number? Recall the numerous abuses by IRS agents who comprised the “confidential” information of thousands of American taxpayers? How about the rampant misuse of FBI files? All of these are instances of “government confidentiality” gone horribly wrong. The unique medical identifier will be just one more example.

**Action to Take**

1. Call your Representative and urge him or her to support Rep. Ron Paul’s Patient Privacy Act (H.R. 2615). Your medical privacy is at stake! Capitol Hill House Switchboard: (202) 225-3121.

2. Call House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) and urge him to support H.R. 2615 and to use his position as Majority Leader to bring others on board. Rep. Armey has quickly become one of the strongest advocates of privacy rights in the House. Rep. Dick Armey: (202) 225-7772.

3. Click here: to send this urgent Action Alert to up to ten of your friends.

CARA Advocates Charging Ahead!

Two weeks ago, on July 25th, the federal land grab bill known as CARA (Conservation and Reinvestment Act) came one step closer to becoming reality. The House Resources Committee passed CARA on a 29-12 vote. All 17 Democrats in attendance voted against your property rights, as did HALF of the Republicans on the committee. Leading the pack of pork-hungry, land-grabbing Republicans was Rep. Don Young (AK), Rep. “Slick” Billy Tauzin (R-LA), and Resources Committee Chairman James Hansen (R-UT). All three led nine other turncoat Republicans into selling out your property rights for pork-barrel cash.

Recall that CARA is a $47 billion trust fund, of which much of that money would be used for federal land acquisition. Furthermore, it is a TRUST FUND, which means that it does not have to go through the annual appropriations process—it’s guaranteed land-grab money for 15 YEARS. The federal government already owns a third of our nation’s land. Do the feds really need to spend the next 15 years kicking more property owners off of their land?!

CARA land-grabbers have declared that they want to pass their bill sometime this fall after the August recess. This does not leave much time! Property rights advocates must create a groundswell of protest in order to stop this disaster from happening. We did it last year, and we can do it again. Call your Representative and tell him or her “NO CARA!”

**Action to Take**

1. Call your Representative and tell him/her “NO CARA!” Explain that the federal government already owns too much land and that a $47 billion trust fund for land acquisition is UNACCEPTABLE! Capitol Hill House Switchboard:(202) 225-3121.

2. Click here: to send this urgent Action Alert to up to ten of your friends.

SPECIAL NOTE TO OUR READERS AND SUPPORTERS

The American Policy Center now has a new address and phone number. We are still located in the northern Virginia area—just a little farther west now. Our new address is: 98 Alexandria Pike, Suite 43, Warrenton, VA 20186. Our new phone number is: (540) 341-8911. Our new fax number is: (540) 341-8917.