Twila Brase is the president and co-founder of Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom. Twila is a registered nurse and author of ‘Big Brother in the Exam Room: The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records.’  She’s the speaker on ‘Health Freedom Minute’ heard on stations across the nation.

This broadcast focused mainly on what’s known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.  Drafted in secret, this 2.2 trillion dollar bill is nearly 900 pages in length and is the third coronavirus bill.  While it obviously has items specifically related to the virus, it also has items that Twila noted were ‘slipped in there’ and passed with no public notice.

Jim added that this isn’t the end.  Next is a 2 trillion dollar stimulus for infrastructure with talk of a possible ‘package #5 and package #6.’

Conversation continued as Twila brought details concerning a nationwide health surveillance system.  This was discovered in the appropriations section of the bill. This section creates a public health surveillance and analytic infrastructure at 500 million dollars to build it.  

Here’s what Twila knows from those who promoted it: 

The Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is part of this.  This is the largest trade organization/lobbying group for the data industry.  It includes members of government, corporations, health care and others who want our data.

What Twila believes they’re looking for is ‘real time’ access to monitoring the American public.  

Keep in mind that this health surveillance system was included ‘behind close doors’ with no public input whatsoever.

Why is this needed when we have HIPAA?  Twila reminded listeners that HIPAA is not a privacy rule.  It’s a data disclosure rule. HIPAA lets third parties such as health plans and data groups into people’s medical records if those who have your data choose to share it.  

Then there’s the Google aspect of this.  They have become the business associate partner for one of the nation’s health care systems.  Twila indicated that Google will ‘data-mine’ all of the medical records of those individuals in that health care system and under HIPPA, this is perfectly legal.

For more details, review this edition of Crosstalk where you can hear what fellow listeners had to say as well.