The State of Nebraska has begun the mass collection of digital health data on all its citizens, in what has been described as an unprecedented move with detrimental implications for personal privacy.
The new initiative consolidates health records in such a way that the alarm has been raised over the state’s rush towards a national digital ID system.
The Nebraska Legislature made a law (LB 411) stating that all healthcare facilities must share their health records in this system, supposedly to improve how healthcare works together.
However, if a facility finds it too hard to do this due to tech issues, they need to fill out a waiver and explain their situation.
The Health Information Technology Board will then decide if they can be excused from joining this system.
The entire data of over five million patients from 1,100 healthcare institutions is now being consolidated into one single-digital database.
While the initiative is championed by some for its potential to streamline healthcare and improve medical outcomes, a growing cohort of privacy advocates and concerned citizens are sounding the alarm about the grave implications this broad data collection could have on the sanctity of personal information.
Their website states the purpose of the HIT Board is to:
Establish criteria for data collection and disbursement by the statewide health information exchange and the prescription drug monitoring program to improve the quality of information provided to clinicians;
Evaluate and ensure that the statewide health information exchange is meeting technological standards for reporting of data for the prescription drug monitoring program, including the data to be collected and reported and the frequency of data collection and disbursement;
Provide the governance oversight necessary to ensure that any health information in the statewide health information exchange and the prescription drug monitoring program may be accessed, used, or disclosed only in accordance with the privacy and security protections set forth in HIPAA;
Provide recommendations to the statewide health information exchange on any other matters referred to the board.
The Gateway Pundit noted:
The HIT Board, sanctioned unanimously by the Nebraska legislature in 2020 to centralize health records, is now seen by some as an Orwellian instrument that poses a dramatic threat to civil liberties. The Board consists of 17 members appointed by the governor and ratified by the legislature.
These members, whose expertise spans various sectors of the healthcare industry, now hold the keys to a kingdom of data previously kept in silos.
Reclaim The Net reproted:
Critics such as Stacey Skold, Ph.D., a board member of the Children’s Health Defense Nebraska Chapter, express their worry over how briskly this system has amassed health data. They perceive it as an alarming stride towards a digital ID and central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The Nebraska government’s decision to establish statewide information exchange via CyncHealth and the associated data harvesting evoked concerns among privacy advocates. Observing the HIT Board meetings further intensified these fears when it was disclosed that partner company CyncHealth was part of CARIN Alliance, a global coalition advocating for digital ID, and had affiliations with corporate giants like Google and Microsoft.
Prominent digital privacy expert Greg Glaser stated that the fast-paced digitization of health data in Nebraska was an ominous sign. He warned that digital IDs, rather than being mere aids for consumer convenience, would introduce an unprecedented level of control over individuals.
READ: G20 Announces Global Plan to Impose Digital IDs on World Population
