Posted by AKC on July 17, 2001, at 8:14:54
In reply to Re: Insurance Mental Illness Hiring Practices, posted by zipnull on July 16, 2001, at 22:31:38
You have in a nutshell hit the heart of the privacy regs debate - and whether such regs really will work to keep medical data private. If you read the many, many pages of debate on the net, you will get the gambit, from one end that employers will have complete access still to such information to that doctors will not be able to get needed information to properly treat their patients.
The privacy regulations are a result of HIPPA -- a law passed by Congress in 1996 that has vexxed employers since its enactment. These regs don't generally go into effect until May of 2003 (I know - you need work way before then). The idea behind the regs - if they work as planned - is that employers, etc., will not have access to your medical treatment - that is, they cannot access your past treatment in making a hiring decision. You would have a "clean slate" in essence.
But as I noted above, there is debate if this really is going to happen. I personally think it is more likely the case in a new hire situation than a current employer/employee situation - for reasons much too complicated for this board - or my brain this early in the morning!
And unfortunately, these medical privacy regulations will not protect you at all right now. Your only hope is that the company you apply to is not using this practice. Not all companies do this - I have worked at some that do, and at some that do not. It is definitely a top down thing. Good luck in the hunt.
poster:AKC
thread:7527
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010717/msgs/7544.html