Google's health care data grab

[DaveTN]

So while your Doctor can’t give a family member information about your health without your permission; HIPPA allows them to give it to Google because it “enhances” your health care.

Good grief. 

https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/google-data-ascension-health-care

Quote

 

Unbeknownst to patients and doctors, Google has been collecting personal health data with health system Ascension, and while the partnership doesn't appear to violate federal law, privacy expert Pam Dixon told FOX Business the revelation leaves her with many unanswered questions.

"The responsible party here is Ascension. It was their job to talk to their patients about this, to get patient input before this happened," said Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum. "We're getting a lot of response to this. People are surprised and taken aback."

 

 

[superduty]

Surprising the way that this all came out, for sure.

More broadly, this is all about healthcare claims analysis using AI (artificial intelligence) platforms. Google is one of the major players and competitors in this emerging market, along with a few others.  It's a big deal.

Still, kinda surprising how this hit the news.

[Moped]

I guess I don’t understand how this gets around HIPPA.

[Garufa]

Further proof that privacy is an antiquated notion.  It simply no longer exists.

Thanks millennials that want to save the world and retire at 30, lol.

[superduty]

59 minutes ago, Moped said:

I guess I don’t understand how this gets around HIPPA.

Since Google is working for and/or contracted by Ascension, Google has to abide by the same HIPAA laws that Ascension does.  It would be the same arrangement if Ascension would have hired Bob and Dave's Healthcare Data Company of Bucksnort Tn to do the healthcare claims analysis.

Penalties for not abiding by HIPAA laws under this sort of contractual arrangement are pretty severe.

The weird part of the whole arrangement is that Google has so much of *everyones* other data, that it makes one suspicious.

[jpx2rk]

With all of the "fitness apps" available, it is not a big surprise IMO.  Every app wants/asks for permission to "share" data, and some non-identifying data has to be the same, they find that "same non-identifying" data bit, and they have your profile.  Then the targeted ads start.

 

[bud]

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Edited November 23, 2019 by bud