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SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. will begin storing the medical records of a few thousand people as it tests a long-awaited health service that's likely to raise more concerns about the volume of sensitive information entrusted to the Internet search leader. The pilot project to be announced Thursday will involve 1,500 to 10,000 patients at the Cleveland Clinic who volunteered to an electronic transfer of their personal health records so they can be retrieved through Google's new service, which won't be open to the general public. Each health profile, including information about prescriptions, allergies and medical histories, will be protected...

But a huge story broke yesterday that got almost no attention because it was overshadowed by stories of people going to the polls voting. In fact, I would dare say that this story could have more impact on our lives in America in the next 20 years than the results of yesterday's midterm congressional elections. I'm talking about news of an imminent action by the New York City Board of Health to permit people born in the city to change the sex recorded on their birth certificates and, thus, change their legal sexual identity. Think about the implications of this...

LOS ANGELES - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order Monday asking state department heads to develop plans for spending $240 million creating electronic medical records for rural communities and health safety-net providers. The order also seeks ideas on developing public-private partnerships to improve information technology for hospitals, doctors and other health care providers. The governor made the announcement at a health summit in Los Angeles where he brought together leaders from business, labor unions, universities and patient advocacy groups to explore ways to lower health care costs and insure more people. Schwarzenegger also announced he wants to create new...

A man who purchased 41 tapes from the B.C. government found himself the unexpected owner of 77,000 personal medical files. The tapes included records such as HIV status, substance abuse history and mental illness. The man bought the tapes at a public government auction with the intention of selling them. The man, who assumed the tapes were blank when he purchased them, handed them over to the Vancouver Sun when he realized the information they contained. Minister of Labour Mike de Jong said an investigation is underway into how the sensitive records ended up on the auction block. "It is...

Judge Returns Records to Rush Limbaugh In an apparent legal victory for top talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, Florida Circuit Judge Thomas Barkdull has returned most of his medical records to his attorney, Roy Black - thereby denying prosecutors "free rein" over Limbaugh's medical file.

Circuit Judge Thomas Barkdull III ruled Tuesday that he will not restrict the number of investigators who will see the released portions of Rush Limbaugh's medical records. Investigators may have access to those records in the next few days. In a Tuesday court hearing, Barkdull said he will complete his review of the records this week. Investigators seized medical records from three of Limbaugh's Palm Beach County doctors and one Los Angeles doctor in late 2003. Barkdull will decide which records fall within the scope of search warrants used to seize the records and will give those portions to prosecutors...

Yesterday, ladies and gentlemen, was the latest court hearing on the attempt by the Palm Beach County state attorney to get my medical records, to see what, if anything, might be in there that they could charge me with. They're on a fishing expedition and by their own admission I am guilty and have to prove myself innocent. They have no idea what to charge until they see the medical records and there was a hearing yesterday. What we've done on the website is we've posted the motion that we filed with the court yesterday, and it's a pdf file....

Unless you have a copy of his signed SF-180, you're not doing your job. If Kerry hasn't granted their release to the media by putting a reporter's name in Section III of the SF-180, you're not doing your job. If you don't evlaute what Kerry has asked to be released as specified in Section II of the SF-180, you're not doing your job.

Top talk radio host Rush Limbaugh called on DNC chief Howard Dean to release his medical records yesterday, after Dean said he was standing by his false allegation that Limbaugh was a cocaine addict. "It might be helpful if we could see his medical records," the radio host told his audience. "It might be helpful if we could get Dean's medical records and plaster them all over CNN because we won't really know the truth about anything until we get these medical records." Citing an interview last year where Dean admitted he had a drinking problem during his college days,...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Florida prosecutors head to court Monday to get access to Rush Limbaugh's medical records. Palm Beach County is investigating alleged prescription-drug abuse. Records were seized in late 2003. Prosecutors want to see if the radio commentator went "doctor shopping" for pain medication. Limbaugh has not been charged with any crime. He's denied any wrongdoing. Limbaugh's attorneys have fought the seizures, claiming a violation of privacy rights. But last month, the Florida Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal, clearing the way for prosecutors to seek the documents. Limbaugh acknowledged his addiction to pain medication in...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Palm Beach County prosecutors who want to examine Rush Limbaugh's medical records for their prescription drug abuse investigation are going to court Monday in hopes of having that evidence released. The records were seized in late 2003, as prosecutors looked into allegations that the conservative commentator went "doctor shopping" to illegally acquire pain medication. Limbaugh, 54, of Palm Beach, has not been charged with any crime and has denied any criminal wrongdoing. Limbaugh's attorneys fought the seizures, claiming a violation of privacy rights. But last month the Florida Supreme Court declined to hear his...

The Florida Supreme Court paved the way, and now prosecutors looking to investigate Rush Limbaugh for "doctor shopping" have filed paperwork seeking to open his medical records. Rush has never been charged with a crime, yet in 2003, authorities seized his medical records in order to ascertain whether or not he doctor shopped - i.e. went to different doctors at the same time to get overlapping prescriptions - for painkillers. At 8:30 Monday morning, Palm Beach Circuit Judge Jeffrey Winikoff will hold a hearing to decide what to do with Limbaugh's heretofore personal, confidential records, reports Florida's Sun-Sentinel paper. The...

Washington, May 11 - Congressman Tim Murphy (PA-18), along with Rep. Patrick Kennedy (RI-1), unveiled H.R. 2234, the 21st Century Health Information Act, a bi-partisan bill which transforms healthcare by putting new information technology into the hands of doctors. “As healthcare costs continue to rise at double digit rates each year, we must to change our approach,” Congressman Tim Murphy said. “The 21st Century Health Information Act gives doctors the tools they need to confidentially coordinate and communicate accurate healthcare records on their patients. It will save thousands of lives and billions of dollars by reducing medical errors, eliminate duplicate...

Personal health records and other health care information technology could decrease medical errors and save money, but incompatibility between information systems and insufficient government funding are delaying progress, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), founder of the... Center for Health Transformation, said Monday, TechnologyDaily reports. Speaking at a congressional forum on health care information technology sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Gingrich said current methods of estimating the cost of health care IT are "irrational" because they only consider initial investments and do not take long-term savings into account (Belopotosky, TechnologyDaily, 5/10). Gingrich...

(CNN) -- The Florida Supreme Court has turned down conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh's request to review a lower court decision that the state could seize his medical records. In a 4-3 decision, the court said it would not consider a motion for rehearing. Limbaugh has been under investigation into whether he illegally went from doctor to doctor to get multiple painkiller prescriptions. He has not been charged and denies the allegation, saying investigators are on a fishing expedition aimed at embarrassing him. In October, Florida's 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that the state did not violate Limbaugh's privacy...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- The Florida Supreme Court says it won't consider an appeal from conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh. Today's four-to-three order didn't explain the court's reasoning. Limbaugh's attorney argues that an appeals court misconstrued Florida law when it ruled prosecutors could review the records. Prosecutors seized Limbaugh's medical records in 2003 for an investigation into whether he illegally purchased prescription painkillers. Limbaugh hasn't been charged with any crime. He lost at the appellate court level and wanted the Florida Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that would open his medical records and possibly allow prosecutors to build a case...

WW1 medal records - under threat of being destroyed? Dear List, I just picked up a copy of a magazine and read the editor's column with disbelief. it will affect everyone now and in future who is undertaking research into family members who were involved with WW1. Start of quote: "As we go to press, it has come to my attention that in April the MOD intends to destroy some 6 million records of medals issued to WW1 personnel. I think you will agree that we cannot let them do so. Our military expert Paul Reed has been looking into...

WEST PALM BEACH -- The prosecutor investigating whether Rush Limbaugh illegally purchased prescription painkillers told the Florida Supreme Court on Monday that investigators should be allowed to review the conservative radio commentator's medical records. Assistant State Attorney James Martz said Limbaugh's argument that he should have been notified before the records were seized by investigators is equivalent to saying ``that law enforcement is never to be trusted.'' ``Then search warrants should never be issued and law enforcement should never be permitted to investigate criminal activity for fear that they will abuse the power granted,'' Martz wrote in a brief filed...

Sunday on "Meet the Press" John Kerry finally agreed to sign the famous Form 180, releasing his full military records. John O'Neill, co-author of Unfit for Command and many other critics of Sen. Kerry's war record have long called on him to release all records. No details were yet given on when or where Kerry would actually sign the long-sought-after release. Key excerpt from Sunday's "Meet the Press": MR. RUSSERT: Many people who’ve been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access...

Even as his doctors announced that he had "superior" fitness, President George W. Bush said yesterday that he's now "a little overweight" after putting on about five pounds during the last 17 months of campaigning. Actually, the president's own government has considered him officially overweight for quite some time -- probably as early as 1998, when a grand redefinition cast more than 30 million Americans from the "normal" into the "overweight" category without gaining an ounce. With a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27, the supposedly bloated six-foot, two-hundred pound Bush would have to lose 20 pounds to be...