Senator calls for privacy protections in health benefits program

A senior Democratic senator called on the Office of Personnel Management Tuesday to strengthen the protection of personal health information for those in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

The issue was raised by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. Akaka said he is concerned about the privacy issue as the federal government encourages companies involved in FEHBP to use health information technology.

The FEHBP provides health insurance to federal workers, retirees and dependents, and enrolls 2.2 million active employees, 1.8 million retirees and 4 million dependents. Late last year, information on government charge-card accounts for 1.2 million federal workers went missing from the Bank of America. That information included names, Social Security numbers, addresses and account numbers.

"Although the adoption of [health information technology] through the FEHBP has the potential to provide better and more efficient health care, this cannot be done without addressing potential consequences for health information privacy," Akaka said. "The changes that will accompany the full use of information technology in the health care industry may raise issues not currently addressed under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule."

Akaka sent a letter recently to Acting OPM Director Dan Blair asking that any move to increase the use of health information technology in FEHBP companies be accompanied by a request for information on the privacy protections available to participants. Akaka also asked Blair to report back with the number of plans that already use extensive health information systems and whether any privacy complaints have been filed against those plans.

The senator noted that President Bush last year signed an executive order pushing for increased use of information technology resources in health systems-including FEHBP.

OPM officials said the matter is under review.

"Yes, we have received the letter," said OPM spokesman Mike Orenstein. "It is now under review and we will respond."

Calls to the office of Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, the chairman of the subcommittee, were not returned.