Anti-Trans Missouri A.G. Can Now Access Trans People’s Medical Records

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Anti-Trans Missouri A.G. Can Now Access Trans People’s Medical Records - Lemmy.World

A judge ordered Planned Parenthood to hand records of transgender care over to Andrew Bailey. A St. Louis judge has ruled that Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is entitled [https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/court-rules-missouri-ag-entitled-to-certain-planned-parenthood-transgender-care-records/article_d65b6842-f8d0-11ee-9814-e7625b653629.html] to Planned Parenthood’s transgender care records, ordering the nonprofit to turn over some of its most sensitive files to the man who has built his unelected political career on restricting health care access for trans people. In his Thursday decision, Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer wrote that Bailey can collect documents under Missouri’s consumer protection statute that aren’t protected under federal mandate, namely the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA. “It is clear from the statute that the Defendant has the broad investigative powers when the consumer is in possible need of protection and there is no dispute in this matter,” wrote Stelzer. “Therefore, the Defendant is entitled to some of the requested documents within his [Civil Investigative Demand].” Bailey, who last year attempted to implement a ban [https://newrepublic.com/post/172330/missouri-anti-trans-health-care-ban] on gender-affirming care for people of all ages, was quick to celebrate the decision, calling it a “big day” for the state.

But it’s not exactly clear yet which documents Bailey will be able to access or that sensitive medical records are completely off the table, as legal experts warn that HIPAA operates with a fairly narrow scope.

Does anyone here with any experience in this field know what sort of information he could access that would be damaging to patients?

It mostly depends on what he does with the information. Any personally identifiable information that becomes public puts someone at serious risk of being persecuted or physically threatened.