A doctor is an employee hired by patients. I will not hire a doctor who will not respect the Hippocratic oath (which contains basic privacy provisions) any more than I would hire an engineer who insists on selling proprietary information.
As far as I can tell, the medical establishment is determined to deny coverage to those who try to buck the system.
I've been without coverage for a year now because of my refusal to submit my SSN. As an avid motorcyclist and rock climber, this is very disconcerting. Do you know of *any* insurance companies that aren't pre-occupied with hawking my personal information.
When you sign the contract with the physician asking them to submit your claim to your insurance company, you are signing the right to give the insurance company that information.
Do you really believe that when you see your doctor today that the billing staff just sends your insurance company a note that says "Adam saw Dr. X today, please pay Dr. X $50.00"?
If you are a private pay patient(no insurance), you have privacy.
The privacy regs as written by Clinton, would have tied the hands of your physician to get payment, and you would have been legally responsible if you refused to sign away your confidentiallity for each and every visit you had.
If you are being treated for a STD, or something else that you don't want reported, You have every right in the world to tell the Doctor not to submit that bill to your insurance company for that visit only. Pay cash at the time of the visit, and you have are free.
An insurance company only has the right to your records for the claims they are being asked to pay for. You are still in control.
Well in 2003 when these new regs become law, you will be free to use any insurance company and they will not be able to hawk your personal information to outside companies without your express written permission.
In the meantime get your ass covered before you cant get coverage at any price. Then worry about whether some marketing company is sending you literature on Depends.