A rock and a hard place? Ministry of Defence | Defence News | MOD confirms loss of recruitment data

[Roland Perry]

In article <47B9B084.8090506@defoam.net>, "Dr Adrian Midgley (In the 
office)" <amidgley2@defoam.net> writes
>> Is it generally possible to be a patient in the USA and not reveal 
>>your  address, though? The system of paying for treatment via 
>>insurance  companies probably has the side effect that the hospital 
>>wants to be  able to collect the bill if for some reason the insurance 
>>company  refuses to pay.
>
>A system could be consturcted by competent cryptographers and privacy 
>activists, could it not, which allowed it to be.
>
>Alternatively, poste restante and accomodation addresses are used in 
>some circumstances, as is the address of the general practice.

A suppose you could construct a system of authoritative proxies, but it 
would need to be well recognised in order to get past the minimum-wage 
finance-clerk-with-clipboard that you need to get past before they'll 
even discuss medical issues with you.

This is not just a USA thing - I've had a procedure in the UK at a 
private hospital that even though covered by my employer's private 
medical insurance at the time, and had been checked over the phone by 
the hospital, they *still* wouldn't do it unless I gave them credit card 
details "in case the insurance people didn't in fact pay". This is a 
luxury that private hospitals appear to have: "if you don't want to play 
ball, there's an NHS waiting list over there; and close the door as you 
leave, please".
-- 
Roland Perry