HIPAA

The Health Information Portability and Accountability Act widely known as HIPAA. HIPAA is the reason you have to read through and sign off on umpteen forms talking about privacy whenever you get medical treatment (or anything to do with healthcare). HIPAA's main concern is laying out data standards so medical information can be more easily shared.

However, since your medical information can be more easily shared and disseminated the government put privacy standards into the act. This is why your practicioners may have remodeled their front desks, so as to make the viewing of medical information that pops up on a receptionists screen harder for the casual observer to view. This is why we have to read and sign all of those extra forms. This is why we have to jump through an extra ring or two when requesting our medical records be sent somewhere.

Why does Mr. Harry Whittington's case all of a sudden demand zero privacy? Yes, I get it, he was involved in an accident instigated by the Vice President. Still, why?

The press is upset. They make it seem as if they have a RIGHT to know (especially the Washington D.C. press corps). Sorry people, you have no right to know anything! IIRC it was on Britt Hume's the factor last night where someone said ever since Watergate the Washington D.C. press corps treats everything as a potential coverup of government wrongdoing. This case underlines everything.