Nancy L. Johnson: “My legislation explicitly does not change HIPAA. The behavior described of hacking in and revealing what would be under…”

“My legislation explicitly does not change HIPAA. The behavior described of hacking in and revealing what would be under HIPAA is a fine of $250,000 and 10 years in jail. So HIPAA is there. It protects our privacy. What this bill does is to put in place a study to look at what has happened in the States, what has happened between State law and Federal law, to look and see if there are things that need to be done to create greater commonality amongst all these laws so that the nationwide interoperable health information system will protect health information to the current or a higher standard. So in the bill it has to be to a higher standard. But we maintain current law. There is absolute protection. And, remember, this specific approach was rejected by Donna Shalala and President Clinton; so do not take this vote lightly, folks. What you are voting for is a radical change in a law that is terribly important to all of us and we maintain in this bill.”