"Health Disparities" and The Future of Your Health Care Privacy

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

4th Amendment, U.S. Constitution

Arie Friedman, MD examines Section 4302 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) and breaks down the use, distribution, and upcoming protections of your personal health care data by the government including this passage:

(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall ensure that, by not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this title, any federally conducted or supported health care or public health program, activity or survey (including Current Population Surveys and American Community Surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census) collects and reports, to the extent practicable--

(A) data on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status for applicants, recipients, or participants;

...

(D) (emphasis mine) any other demographic data as deemed appropriate by the Secretary regarding health disparities.

Be sure to read Dr. Friedman's article that touches on the protections assured by the new law. I tend to think I have a pretty balanced readership on both sides of the political spectrum so I'd be interested to hear what others think.

Are we giving up our health care privacy in return for medical coverage in the new PPACA law or do we feel the protections mentioned by the law are sufficient?

-Wes