Comments for Twisted System Analyst's Weblog http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com Not the guy who fixes the computer, the guy who tells the guy how to fix your computer. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:22:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU Comment on Your Health… Online by twistedsystemanalyst http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/your-health-online/#comment-5 twistedsystemanalyst Tue, 20 May 2008 18:35:52 +0000 http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/?p=13#comment-5 I believe the risk comes more from the insurance companies. Where I work, we are forced to populate the basic fields for the insurance company's on-line health record. Then, the next year, we noticed that we had to partake in a "health improvement" program based on our answers that were put online. The time is coming where multi-tiered insurance rates are put in place based on records that you allow the insurance company to see. Don't want to disclose this inforamtion? Then pay the high rate. Have a high risk to sickness? Pay the high rate anyway. The fact that in many cases, you don't have open choices on insurance companies (many companies say - it's this choice or nothing) makes this even worse. Add to that, Google is not covered under HIPAA privacy laws and you have a pretty bad foundation. Banks and mortgage companies are covered under heavy regulation. It's a slippery slope we as the consumer are sliding down. I believe the risk comes more from the insurance companies. Where I work, we are forced to populate the basic fields for the insurance company’s on-line health record. Then, the next year, we noticed that we had to partake in a “health improvement” program based on our answers that were put online.

The time is coming where multi-tiered insurance rates are put in place based on records that you allow the insurance company to see. Don’t want to disclose this inforamtion? Then pay the high rate. Have a high risk to sickness? Pay the high rate anyway.

The fact that in many cases, you don’t have open choices on insurance companies (many companies say - it’s this choice or nothing) makes this even worse.

Add to that, Google is not covered under HIPAA privacy laws and you have a pretty bad foundation. Banks and mortgage companies are covered under heavy regulation.

It’s a slippery slope we as the consumer are sliding down.

]]> Comment on Your Health… Online by Your Health… Online http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/your-health-online/#comment-4 Your Health… Online Tue, 20 May 2008 15:51:12 +0000 http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/?p=13#comment-4 [...] Go to the author’s original blog: Your Health… Online [...] [...] Go to the author’s original blog: Your Health… Online [...]

]]> Comment on Your Health… Online by forHealth http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/your-health-online/#comment-3 forHealth Tue, 20 May 2008 13:27:47 +0000 http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/?p=13#comment-3 I don't know that there is anything to be overly worried about. If google is vulnerable to hacks to is nearly every major insurer. The last few insurance policies I had required management through an online database. Calls to UHC customer service always directed me back to the website (which wasn't really helpful anyway). So many things are administered over the net - often without you ever knowing. Banking data - transmitted over the net to other financial institutions Vital statistics - digitized in many states Mortgage info - digitized The only industry that is not digitized - health information. And as we know it is a mishmash of info scattered among dozens of clinicians, hospitals, etc. No one else would do it, why not Google? I don’t know that there is anything to be overly worried about. If google is vulnerable to hacks to is nearly every major insurer. The last few insurance policies I had required management through an online database. Calls to UHC customer service always directed me back to the website (which wasn’t really helpful anyway).

So many things are administered over the net - often without you ever knowing.

Banking data - transmitted over the net to other financial institutions

Vital statistics - digitized in many states

Mortgage info - digitized

The only industry that is not digitized - health information. And as we know it is a mishmash of info scattered among dozens of clinicians, hospitals, etc. No one else would do it, why not Google?

]]> Comment on Ad Block for your browser by Steven http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/ad-block-for-your-browser/#comment-2 Steven Tue, 20 May 2008 06:45:11 +0000 http://twistedsystemanalyst.wordpress.com/?p=7#comment-2 yeah ad block works great. Installed it on my comp[uter and laptop. yeah ad block works great. Installed it on my comp[uter and laptop.

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