NO DRUG DATABASE AND NO DOLLAR

It is disheartening to see presumably serious politicians such as
Attorney General Pam Bondi and state Sen. Mike Fasano argue without
nuance and without specifics that a prescription drug database
represents a meaningful solution to a serious issue.

In the early days of the computer age, coders created one of the
first catchphrases of the cyber era -- "garbage in, garbage out."
Without necessary controls over what goes into a database that by its
very nature invades the privacy of those whose personal information
is included, it is almost certain that the database will be misused.

The health and life insurance industries have created something
called the Medical Information Bureau, an Orwellian name for an
Orwellian creation. The Medical Information Bureau is a repository of
diagnostic, treatment and other private information about persons who
may apply for health or life insurance. On its face, the concept is
legitimate a potential life insurer should know, for example, if an
applicant was diagnosed with a terminal illness days prior to filing
an application for millions of dollars in life insurance.

The devil, unfortunately, is in the details, and the concept
underlying the creation of the Medical Information Bureau can and
often is twisted to serve the sometimes nefarious objectives of
health care providers who insert false information into the database.

Unfortunately, the Medical Information Bureau provides aggrieved
citizens with no remedy other than the health care provider deciding
to fess up and admit that he/she entered erroneous information in the database.

Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation and its Department of Health
assert that they are powerless to act in response to proven abuses of
the Medical Information Bureau.

If the prescription drug database is created, will the state deign to
set meaningful access parameters or create a process by which a
citizen can secure the correction of an erroneous entry? It is hard
to believe that giving bureaucrats control over enormous amounts of
sensitive personal data represents a legitimate solution to any problem.

Gov. Rick Scott should be applauded for resisting the pressure being
exerted by the "We're from the government, and we're here to help
you" crowd. Personally, I would not lend any of these politicians a
dollar, and I surely do no not trust them with my private medical or
prescription drug information.

Jeffrey P. Meyer

Tampa