Washington’s My Health, My Data Act, prevents health-tracking apps, search engines, and advertisers from collecting and sharing health data without people’s consent. used, was approved by the state House of Representatives in a 57-39 vote.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
The bill, sponsored by Representative Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, is designed to protect abortion rights and reproductive health care, according to News Stanwood Camano.
“It is inexcusable that protected, private healthcare provider and patient data will be shared for purposes outside of essential care. We will not allow it. that’s in Washington,” Governor Jay Inslee said in announcing the bill last October.
While the bill includes an exception to public or peer-reviewed research and an exemption from processing under applicable health privacy laws, it is primarily designed to address these issues, according to the story. loopholes in data privacy protection following the Dobbs Supreme Court decision.
“This is an important part of protecting Washington’s right to safe, private, and reproductive care – it’s more pressing now than ever,” said Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. .
Advertisers can share health data in the following ways:
- Period tracking app data could be sold to data brokers and lead to law enforcement investigating and prosecuting women who had an abortion or miscarriage in another state.
- Pregnancy crisis center data collected during visits can be shared with anti-abortion groups, which can then target women with pro-life messages and political advertising.
- Digital advertising companies that obtain mobile data through geolocation around healthcare facilities can attack individuals with text messages and ads urging them not to search. reproductive care or sex-affirming services.
Meanwhile, critics of the bill say the net is too broad and would require many people to expand additional resources to comply with the proposed law.
Representative Chris Corry, R-Yakima said: “This is a vast network that will collect company products and services that don’t really solve any problems with regard to people’s health data. consumption.
State representatives debated 23 proposed amendments before passing the bill.
TREND TO BIGGER
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights has issued two sets of guidelines to inform patients seeking reproductive health care and their providers. in June immediately following the Roe v. Wade.
The guidance addresses how federal laws and regulations protect individuals’ protected health information related to abortion and other sexual and reproductive health care, and reminds service providers health care service that they are not required to disclose private health information to third parties.
The guidance also explains cases in which HIPAA allows for the disclosure of protected health information without an individual’s consent, focusing on how their device may share PHI without their knowledge.
“The way you access health care should not make you a target of discrimination,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said.
ON PROFILE
“In Washington State, we expect our healthcare data to be protected, including reproductive care and sex-affirmation,” Slatter said, according to a local story.
“That means combating exploitative practices like the sale of private reproductive healthcare data that lead to healthcare restrictions in states like Texas. Protecting us from attacks access to our most sensitive health data is long overdue. Websites and apps have the tools to protect our data.. It’s time they do it.”
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
Joe Drygas and Randy Bush will provide more insights during HIMSS23 session “The Advantage of 5G: Enhanced Connectivity for Life Sciences and Healthcare.” Scheduled for Friday, April 21 at 10:30 – 11:30 am CT at South Building, 1st Floor, room S105 C.
