Attorney General Demands More
Private Medical Records of Women
In an ominous attack
on women's reproductive
health and their right to privacy, the Justice Department
first demanded that at least six hospitals across
the country turn over patient medical records on
certain abortions performed there. Now U.S. Attorney
General John Ashcroft is demanding that Planned Parenthood
affiliates in Pennsylvania, Kansas, mid-Missouri,
New York City, Los Angeles, San Diego and the Washington,
D.C. metropolitan area turn in hundreds of private
medical records from the clients they serve.
John Ashcroft is not a doctor. He does
not know about medical procedures, yet he is demanding
the most intimate details of decisions made by women
and their doctors.
Doctors and hospitals
have said that Ashcroft's highly unusual demand
for medical records would violate the privacy rights
of their patients.
"First John Ashcroft came knocking on
hospitals' doors demanding private medical records
of women. Then he came knocking on the door with
subpoenas for women's health clinics. We need to
stop John Ashcroft before he shows up at your home
demanding your personal medical information," said
Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry
McAuliffe. "He is a right-wing extremist who is grossly
mismanaging the nation's highest law enforcement
post."
"Ashcroft's outrageous and overreaching
request for private medical records threatens the
medical privacy of all Americans," stated McAuliffe.
Attorney General
John Ashcroft has a public record of consistently
opposing a woman's
right to choose. Now he is trying to reverse our
right to privacy.
This request violates
the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
on medical privacy issues and it violates every American's
constitutional right to privacy.#
