Health Information Exchange (H 7866, S 2898)

When Rhode Island created its Health Information Exchange in 2008, it did so with explicit promises that it would strictly limit how patients’ medical information in the exchange could be shared. In 2016, the General Assembly greatly expanded the entities that have access to the exchange, including granting access to broadly defined health plans for purposes totally unrelated to direct medical care, the original goal of the Exchange. In April, the ACLU testified before the House committee on Health, Education and Welfarethat such disclosure goes far beyond what was originally intended for the Exchange - and what those who opted-in to the Exchange agreed to share - and carries serious implications for the medical privacy of all Rhode Islanders whose information remains within the Exchange. Both that bill and its Senate companion were passed by their respective chambers in May, and the legislation was signed into law in June.