[WilliamofCarmichael]

I believe that Obama wrote a letter to Kapi'olani Hospital acknowledging it as his birth hospital.

I know that birth announcements were printed in local newspapers and since have been reproduced all over the world. No hospital name was mentioned.

Yet. .

"We can't confirm or deny it – even though all the information out there says he was born at Kapi'olani Hospital," said hospital spokeswoman Claire Tong. "Our hands are tied."

That don't make a lick of sense.

Births, deaths, etc, are exempted from the HIPAA privacy regulation, I thought.

We're being hornswoggled.

[sometime lurker]

Births, deaths, etc, are exempted from the HIPAA privacy regulation, I thought.

HIPAA is much more restrictive than most people realize. I had to learn about it for work, and I've never heard of exemptions for births or deaths. Most hospitals are so worried about HIPAA fines that they will go to great lengths to avoid giving out any information that might violate HIPAA. Even after a patient is deceased, information can't be given unless there is a release from the executor of the estate. If any hospital employee was caught looking up a politician or celebrity's records, they'd be disciplined or even fired.