Spain's Basque Country health service has opened its citizens' health records to civil servants responsible for adjudicating disability benefits and detecting fraud.
Osakidetza, the Basque Country (País Vasco) health service, has signed an agreement giving civil servants from the National Institute for Social Insurance (INSS), a department of the Spanish Government, access to the health records of its inhabitants.
The decision by the Basque health service opens the region’s personal health and clinical records to central government civil servants responsible for awarding disability benefits, and detecting fraud. Under the agreement, Basque Country inhabitants lose a right to privacy of their records held in the region’s EHR system.
Like other regions in Spain, the Basque Country manages its health system, including electronic health and medical systems. National Insurance, by contrast, is administered by the national government.
The agreement grants access to Basque inhabitants’ medical records to INSS inspectors responsible for determining awards, adjustments and stoppages of medical disability-related social security benefits.
Under the agreement, inhabitants of the Basque Country lose the right of privacy over their health records to civil servants working for the central government. In addition to privacy issues, the agreement creates potential security vulnerabilities for the Basque EHR system.
The INSS has powers to qualify and evaluate disability determinations made by medical professionals, both of temporary and permanent disability. This includes grading severity and adjusting benefit awards accordingly.
Further reading:
Osakidetza, the Basque Country (País Vasco) health service, has signed an agreement giving civil servants from the National Institute for Social Insurance (INSS), a department of the Spanish Government, access to the health records of its inhabitants.
The decision by the Basque health service opens the region’s personal health and clinical records to central government civil servants responsible for awarding disability benefits, and detecting fraud. Under the agreement, Basque Country inhabitants lose a right to privacy of their records held in the region’s EHR system.
Like other regions in Spain, the Basque Country manages its health system, including electronic health and medical systems. National Insurance, by contrast, is administered by the national government.
The agreement grants access to Basque inhabitants’ medical records to INSS inspectors responsible for determining awards, adjustments and stoppages of medical disability-related social security benefits.
Under the agreement, inhabitants of the Basque Country lose the right of privacy over their health records to civil servants working for the central government. In addition to privacy issues, the agreement creates potential security vulnerabilities for the Basque EHR system.
The INSS has powers to qualify and evaluate disability determinations made by medical professionals, both of temporary and permanent disability. This includes grading severity and adjusting benefit awards accordingly.
Further reading:
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