Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!pilchuck!dataio!fnx!del
From: del@fnx.UUCP (Dag Erik Lindberg)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Citizens of the City of Mind
Message-ID: <932@fnx.UUCP>
Date: 1 Apr 91 16:59:45 GMT
References: <3778.27dd2150@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <910@fnx.UUCP> <4014.27f1e88a@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
Organization: I/Ovations    Kirkland, WA
Lines: 43

In article <4014.27f1e88a@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com writes:
>In article <910@fnx.UUCP>, del@fnx.UUCP (Dag Erik Lindberg) writes:
>> SPECIFIC PURPOSES.  For example, I give my medical history to my doctor
>
>"freely gave" and "for SPECIFIC PURPOSES" are opposites of each other.

A semantic nit I'm not sure I agree with.

>Take a look at the language of the insurance information clause you
>are asked to sign at a hospital.  It gives them permission to reveal
>your medical data to an insurance company anytime (no expiration).

Thank you for pointing this out.  I will double check this next time
I am in the hospital.  I was under the assumption that insurance
companies needed a release just the same as anyone else.  I was under
this assumption since last time I was in a major accident the (paying)
insurance company asked me for a release for my hospital records.  This
implies they couldn't get them without the release, or is this a smoke
screen?

>The permission to disclose information on a life insurance application
>gives the insurance company that collects the info the right to enter
>it into a perpetual data base operated by a fourth party and available
>to other insurance companies for a membership or subscription fee.  There
>is a fee so that this limited publication could be called "selling".  Have
>you exercised the "legal recourse" you mention?

Since I don't have life insurance, the answer is "no".  Thank you for
pointing this issue out for me.  When and if I do get life insurance, I
will be very conscious of this.

>> I give my VISA number to certain vendors over the
>> phone, but if they were to sell it there are serious civil and legal
>> penalties in store for them.  Your argument doesn't hold water.
>> 
>Again, the information is not "freely given".  There is a contractually
>limited purpose.

Where is this contract?

-- 
del AKA Erik Lindberg                             uunet!pilchuck!fnx!del
                          Who is John Galt?