Chris Murphy: “nearly all Americans' personal health information remains at some risk. More than one in four health insurance plans and…”

“nearly all Americans' personal health information remains at some risk. More than one in four health insurance plans and almost one in three care providers have indicated that they experience data security breaches of personal health information. The problem is that only 43 percent of health care providers comply with Federal laws that protect an unauthorized disclosure of health information. As the U.S. slowly expands its use of electronic health records, Congress needs to shift from the current complaint-driven approach to enforcing privacy standards to proactively defending patients' personal information. Every American should be able to know that their medical records are secure. My legislation, H.R. 2234, would keep electronic medical records safe, ensure that patients have access to their own records, and notify them when information is accessed by an unauthorized user, thus reducing risk. Ensuring health data security is important for all Americans to have confidence in their hospital. I would urge my colleagues to learn more about protecting patient privacy for the 21st century by visiting my Web site at murphy.house.gov. ____________________”