The present economic downturn has been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930’s or the recession of the 1980’s. The factors that existed during ...

The present economic downturn has been compared to the Great Depression of the 1930’s or the recession of the 1980’s. The factors that existed during those financial cycles need to be compared to the present political and economic dynamic to determine whether or not history is repeating itself. Analysis of those two periods provides an insight as to whether or not there will be a rebound or surge of claims in the future.

The new stimulus package, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [ARRA], fails to protect medical record privacy for injured workers. The new economic recovery package includes an appropriation of $19 Billion for the expansion of electronic health records [EHR] by funding intellectual technology. The legislation fails to include an essential prohibition on the dissemination and misuse of workers' compensation medical records.

Our modern electronic world has many benefits and conveniences, but the free flow of information also creates privacy concerns. In the realm of health care, privacy protections are needed to preserve patients’ dignity and prevent harms such as discrimination. But such protections can also have unintended consequences for health care, and the health research that is vital for making medical advances. More than 10 years ago Congress called for a set of federal standards, now known as the HIPAA Privacy Rule, to protect the privacy of personally identifiable health information while still allowing the flow of information needed to promote high-quality health care.

As the greatest economic bailout goes forward, the Federal and State governments are exploring new areas to raise revenue, including from workers’ compensation benefits. The multi-billion dollar national workers’ compensation system, insured by recently nationalized unstable insurance carriers, maybe be a source to fund the rapidly increasing national debt