HHS – April 2002
PATIENT:  The privacy rule will create a government database with all individual’s personal health information.
The rule does not require a physician or any other covered entity to send medical information to the government for a government database or similar operation.
FALSE !
FALSE!   The rule does not require a physician or any other covered entity to send medical information to the government for a government database or similar operation.

This rule does not require or allow any new government access to medical information, with one exception: the rule does give the HHS Office for Civil Rights the authority to investigate complaints and to otherwise ensure that covered entities comply with the rule.  (OCR has been assigned the responsibility of enforcing the Privacy Rule.)

The only other disclosure of health information required by the rule is disclosure to the individual who is the subject of the record, at her request.  All other disclosures of health information covered by the Rule are disclosures that are permitted in certain circumstances and subject to certain restrictions, but are not required.