Great Minds Think Alike Dept: While this may seem like piling on, I actually wrote this post a week or so ago, but stockpiled it in favor of more urgent matters. Meantime, of course, Mike ran across a similar article and blogged on the same subject. Herewith is my take on the issue:
Well, the good news is that, according to the Associated Press, our cousins across the pond are covered by "Britain's free health care system" (although the English taxpayer may balk at that characterization).
Alas, you get what you pay for:
"Personal information about patients in [that free system] has been lost, the Department of Health acknowledged Sunday — the third loss of data about the public by a government service this year."
Now, one may argue (correctly) that our own privileged health information is also at risk, and certainly there've been any number of data thefts here in the States. And some of those thefts include loss of personal health data.
So what's the difference, you ask? Simply this: under our system, the keepers of that information are subject to strict penalties (including fines) for such losses. They can also be sued in civil court, and assessed damages.
And how, exactly, does one sue the MVNHS©?
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