WASHINGTON – D.C. and Maryland health exchange officials are trying to tamp down worries about privacy tied to Obamacare.
A report from The Weekly Standard sparked a debate over language in health care exchange privacy policies, allowing the operators to share information with appropriate law enforcement agents or auditors.
“The Maryland Health Connection Privacy Policy has been developed in compliance with federal regulations to ensure consumer protections. In the event that Maryland Health Connection receives a subpoena from law enforcement, we are required to comply, just as an insurance company or another state agency would be,” says the Maryland Health Care Connection in a statement to WTOP.
In addition to the information needed to obtain coverage, people who sign up for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act also provide financial details.
While the exchanges may confirm those details with other state or federal agencies, personal information shared for insurance bought through the exchanges falls under the same privacy protection rules as information shared with insurance companies operating in the private market.
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