Table of Contents

Give patients the tools they need to control their personal health information
In a letter that underscores the importance of patients controlling their medical information via privacy-enabling technology, Consumer Action and the Coalition for Patient Privacy answered the Department of Health and Human Services's call for comments on modifications to the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Enforcement Rules in the new HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act.

Data collection provisions in health law ensure equal access and care
In a letter to Congress, Consumer Action and other consumer organizations voiced strong support for a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that mandates collection of data on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status in order to ensure disparities in health care access and quality for vulnerable populations.

Debt collectors should not use paid medical debt to determine credit worth
Consumer Action sent a letter to Representative Mary Jo Kilroy supporting H.R. 3421, a bill that prohibit debt collectors from using settled or paid off medical debt in assessing credit worthiness.

Health care bill should adopt Medicaid payment parity
In a letter to Congressional leaders, Consumer Action asked that legislators working on the health care reform bill to adopt a provision to bring Medicaid reimbursement rates for primary care in line with comparable Medicare rates within four years.

Health reform should provide quick and efficient coverage for Medicaid enrollees
Consumer Action signed onto a letter asking Senators Reid, Baucus, Harkin, and Dodd to ensure that any improvements to Medicaid in the health reform bill are implemented on the same schedule as other health coverage improvements and that newly eligible Medicaid enrollees receive adequate health coverage.

Ensure “meaningful use” by giving consumers control
Consumer Action signed onto a coalition letter to the Health Information Technology Policy Committee, which is tasked with defining how implementation of electronic health records will meet the standard of "meaningful use," such as reducing hospital admission times. The letter asks the Committee to include the ability for patients to control the uses and disclosures of their protected health information in this definition.

Health reform legislation must lower costs for working families
In a letter to Congress, Consumer Action and its coalition partners ask that any laws enacted on behalf of healthcare reform include strong provisions making insurance coverage affordable.

HIT cannot be successful without strong privacy protections
In a letter to Democratic leadership, Consumer Action and its coalition members urged Congress to include key privacy protections in any upcoming health IT legislation.

Take a ride on the ‘Road to Economic Recovery’
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition (Consumer Action is a member) and USAction are planning a massive week of action around the economic crisis.

Project aims to protect personal health information
Consumer Action Privacy Coalition partner, the Center for Democracy & Technology, has launched a major program in collaboration with the Health Privacy Project to develop and promote privacy policy solutions for personal health information. The project hopes to deliver developments in health information technology (HIT) that have the potential to improve health care quality, reduce costs and empower consumers to play a greater role in their own care.