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That Was No Dead Fetus— That Was My Medical Record!
Dawn Eden.com ^ | October 23, 2004 | Dawn Eden

Posted on 10/25/2004 3:22:21 PM PDT by swilhelm73

Did you know that medical records are made of flesh and blood, including a recently stopped heart?

I didn't—not until I read a quote from a Planned Parenthood attorney in today's Oakland Tribune.

The story is about a statutory-rape case that came to light when a 13-year-old San Mateo County girl tested positive for chlamydia at a local clinic. The clinic did the right thing by reporting it to the county sheriff's department, and the girl admitted to the authorities that she'd had sex with a stranger.

When the sheriff's investigators then learned that the girl had an abortion scheduled, they took the rare step of using a search warrant to seize the fetus, so they could use DNA testing to verify the identity of the father—who is believed to be an adult.

Although the abortion was not done at a Planned Parenthood clinic, Margaret Sanger's organization has to have its say in this, as it does any time the government attempts to assert authority when an abortion clinic is tangled in a case of statutory rape. (As has been noted here before, the organization's own writings deny that statutory rape deserves to be called a crime.) After the the head of the county's sexual-assault unit explained the reason for the warrant—to insure that the clinic would "release the remains" (which is the proper way to describe an aborted child)—Planned Parenthood attorney Beth Parker counters that there should be no reason why authorities would have problems with a clinic:

"It makes no sense," Parker said. "If a clinic gets consent from the patient, they'd release the records."

Parker says these types of cases seem to becoming more prevalent. Most involved a patient who objects or didn't even know police had taken the fetus, which Parker contends is part of the woman's medical records. Repeat after me, everyone: It's not "remains." It's "records."

Nice to know that, according to Planned Parenthood, my brother (or sister) who my mother miscarried before I was born isn't really dead. He's just in that big file cabinet in the sky.

UPDATE: My stepfather, Dr. Ronald Siwoff, writes: I read your posting in the Dawn Patrol regarding Planned Parenthood's attempt at using HIPAA (federal medical-information privacy law) to obstruct an investigation of the statutory rape of a 13-year-old child. The headline should read "The Old Dog Can't Learn A New Trick." Planned Parenthood has used HIPAA regulations to oppose legal challenges to partial-birth abortion. The thing that Planned Parenthood just does not get is the law does not require a consent for children. Ron refers to this section of HIPAA: Limits on uses and disclosures:

"Covered entities" that hold PHI (Personal Health Information) may use it without an individual's consent for the purposes of providing treatment to the individual, for payment activities such as claims adjudication and premium setting, and for operating their businesses. They are also permitted to use and disclose PHI as required or permitted by other laws, e.g., laws related to reporting of child or elder abuse, public health oversight and national security investigations.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; US: California
KEYWORDS: abortion; plannedparenthood; pp; stopp

1 posted on 10/25/2004 3:22:22 PM PDT by swilhelm73
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To: swilhelm73

 
 
Click for the entire CouNTeRPuNcH Collection

Political Parodies and more
www.counterpunch.us



2 posted on 10/25/2004 3:23:21 PM PDT by counterpunch (The CouNTeRPuNcH Collection - www.counterpunch.us)
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To: swilhelm73
One of my doctor cousins says bona fide criminal investigations have a straight-forward exception to medical record confidentiality.
3 posted on 10/25/2004 3:25:48 PM PDT by dodger
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To: counterpunch

Whoa!

That B Boxer picture is just flat out scary.
But true.


4 posted on 10/25/2004 3:28:34 PM PDT by ColoCdn (Truth never dies)
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To: dodger

I saw a hugh bumpher sticker this weekend: "If it isn't a baby, then you aren't pregnant!"


5 posted on 10/25/2004 3:29:10 PM PDT by mrplind (The greatest threat to the United States is not "terrorism" as we know it, it's liberalism!)
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To: swilhelm73

A business decision? This practice could affect revenue?


6 posted on 10/25/2004 3:31:20 PM PDT by CindyDawg
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To: Mr. Silverback; Coleus; cpforlife.org; nickcarraway; Salvation

Pro-life/pro-baby ping...


7 posted on 10/25/2004 3:33:20 PM PDT by cgk (Teresa Heinz Kerry: ``The Democratic machine in this country is putrid.'')
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To: ColoCdn; counterpunch

Actually it's half true. It needs to show a FULL term baby. Partial birth is done on babies as they are being born. As they are exiting the birth canal. They have other ways for poor little ones.


8 posted on 10/25/2004 3:35:21 PM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: mrplind
I saw a hugh bumpher sticker this weekend: "If it isn't a baby, then you aren't pregnant!"

That's an excellent point!

9 posted on 10/25/2004 3:39:40 PM PDT by dodger
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To: cpforlife.org; Coleus; Mr. Silverback

Ping!


10 posted on 10/25/2004 4:12:16 PM PDT by NYer ("The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of Bishops." St. John Chrysostom)
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