They freaking used the letter to fund raise off of. You answer me: were they affirming Obama was born there, when they used that very instance to raise $ for the hospital?
You may cut the condescending tone, also. I’m not the one defending irrationality. You’re saying, in so many words, ‘They can affirm he was born there; they just can’t affirm he was born there’.
If I were that irrational, I wouldn’t advertise it.
You don’t seriously expect a federal law like HIPAA to be rational, do you? It’s as convoluted and cumbersome and as much a PITA as any other federal law.
My guess (and that’s all it is) is that the hospital’s lawyers OK’ed the letter to be read because the hospital isn’t the source of the information - the writer of the letter is. They may have had his permission to read it - but that’s not the same as permission to confirm or deny the content. If a hospital employee says, “What’s in the letter is true (or false),” then THAT information comes from the hospital and is in violation of the law.
My experience with HIPAA is that in order to get a provider to release information, they want very specific written permission.
Here’s my real-life example of HIPAA in action: I want a print of my husband’s X-ray that was taken in January. He has to sign a document that expressly gives them permission to release THAT particular record to ME. Then, I can get that X-ray. They won’t give it to anyone else. Later on, they won’t give me his other X-ray that was taken in March, unless he signs another form permitting that one to be released to me, too. See, the first form was for the January X-ray only and is no good for anything else.
Yes, it is stupid. I’m his wife and they have a letter on file that I have permission to get one X-ray and they won’t give me the other one without another signature. It’s stupid but that’s the law.
It may be that Obama can’t legally give permission for his mother’s records to be released. I just don’t know what the procedure is for dead people’s records.
I suppose someone could go try to get a dead relative’s medical records released to someone else and see what happens, see if they can do it. It would have to be released directly to someone else if we ever were to see Obama’s mother’s records. Who would believe anything that went through Obama’s hands first?
I’m telling you that violating HIPAA law carries a huge fine, and they can’t affirm 0bama was born there based on any medical records. I’ve also said that I’m not a lawyer, and I’d need one to untangle whether reading the letter was a violation or not, as it is outside of any medical records.
If you can’t understand that, I’m sorry for you. Or if you just want to argue for the heck of it, I’ve got better things to do.
And if they affirmed 0bama was born there, why is it still in question?