EAST LANSING, Mich., April 16, 2008 - Medical privacy for public school employees in at least one district has been jeopardized by a new state law, a troubling twist in the continuing controversy over Public Act 106.

Scores of districts have sought bids from prospective health insurers since P.A. 106 took effect, as the law requires. However, MEA recently learned of a case that confirms concerns about medical privacy raised last fall when the Legislature debated the proposal, then known as Senate Bill 418.

Some employees in Van Buren County’s Lawton school district were recently ordered to provide medical history and other private information about themselves, their spouses and dependents. The information went to an independent health insurance agent hired by the district; the agent presumably planned to use the information to provide a bid for health insurance, even though the employees’ current contract is in effect until 2009.

“This law disregards how private medical information can be misused,” said Ed Sarpolus, who heads the MEA Government Affairs Department. “Nobody should have to disclose this kind of information to their employer. Anyone who values medical privacy should be concerned.”

Members of the Lawton Educational Support Personnel Association include secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, classroom paraprofessionals and food service workers. This is the first known case where P.A. 106 jeopardized the medical privacy of public employees.

Among other things, the Lawton employees were asked if they or their dependents had been treated during the past 10 years for such ailments as cancer, HIV or AIDS, allergies or multiple sclerosis. Employees were also asked whether they or their dependents suffered from anxiety, depression, autism or eating disorders, and to list the medications they had been prescribed over the previous year. The employees’ names were tied to the answers.

As provided, the information could be used to discriminate against workers, even if their medical history doesn’t interfere with their job performance, said Art Przybylowicz, MEA’s chief legal counsel.

“The information could even be misused by districts to limit or eliminate coverage for certain conditions,” Sarpolus said, adding that districts that don’t provide adequate health insurance might discourage employees from seeking necessary care, or force them to seek employment elsewhere.

Federal law protects personal health information provided to health insurers, most doctors, nurses, hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, clinics and many other health care providers. Public employers such as school districts aren’t similarly subject to the requirements of that federal law, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), unless they operate a self-funded insurance plan, which Lawton does not.

“Before Senate Bill 418 was voted on, we warned the Legislature that medical privacy for thousands of school employees was at risk,” Sarpolus said. “This law tells school employees that their health and medical information is no longer private.”

MEA lawyers and staff will attempt to ensure that other MEA members are not subject to the same invasion of medical privacy as occurred in Lawton, Przybylowicz said.

Contact information for governor and lieutenant governor

Gov. Jennifer Granholm - (517) 373-3400
Lt. Gov. John Cherry - (517) 373-6800
or submit comments online to the governor's office

State Representatives

District	Name	Phone	E-mail	Vote on SB 418
42	Frank Accavitti Jr.	517-373-0854	frankaccavitti@house.mi.gov	No
32	Daniel Acciavatti	517-373-8931	danielacciavatti@house.mi.gov	Yes
74	David Agema	517-373-8900	daveagema@house.mi.gov	Did not vote - hunting
43	Fran Amos	517-373-0615	franamos@house.mi.gov	Yes
55	Kathy Angerer	517-373-1792	kathyangerer@house.mi.gov	No
85	Richard Ball	517-373-0841	richardball@house.mi.gov	Yes
68	Joan Bauer	517-373-0826	joanbauer@house.mi.gov	No
92	Doug Bennett	517-373-2646	dougbennett@house.mi.gov	No
25	Steve Bieda	517-373-1772	stevebieda@house.mi.gov	No
102	Darwin Booher	517-373-1747	darwinbooher@house.mi.gov	Yes
24	Jack Brandenburg	517-373-0113	jackbrandenburg@house.mi.gov	No
84	Terry Brown	517-373-0476	terrybrown@house.mi.gov	No
52	Pam Byrnes	517-373-0828	pambyrnes@house.mi.gov	No
67	Barb Byrum	517-373-0587	barbbyrum@house.mi.gov	No
87	Brian Calley	517-373-0842	briancalley@house.mi.gov	Yes
108	Tom Casperson	517-373-0156	tomcasperson@house.mi.gov	Yes
58	Bruce Caswell	517-373-1794	brucecaswell@house.mi.gov	Yes
99	Bill Caul	517-373-1789	billcaul@house.mi.gov	Yes
6	Marsha Cheeks	517-373-0844	marshacheeks@house.mi.gov	No
34	Brenda Clack	517-373-8808	brendaclack@house.mi.gov	No
14	Ed Clemente	517-373-0140	edclemente@house.mi.gov	No
35	Paul Condino	517-373-1788	paulcondino@house.mi.gov	Yes
16	Bob Constan	517-373-0849	bobconstan@house.mi.gov	No
20	Marc Corriveau	517-373-3816	marccorriveau@house.mi.gov	No
95	Andy Coulouris	517-373-0152	andycoulouris@house.mi.gov	No
8	George Cushingberry Jr.	517-373-2276	georgecushingberry@house.mi.gov	Yes
75	Robert Dean	517-373-2668	robertdean@house.mi.gov	No
38	Craig DeRoche	517-373-0827	craigderoche@house.mi.gov	Yes
17	Andy Dillon	517-373-0857	andydillon@house.mi.gov	Yes
26	Marie Donigan	517-373-3818	mariedonigan@house.mi.gov	No
56	Kate Ebli	517-373-2617	KateEbli@house.mi.gov	No
105	Kevin Elsenheimer	517-373-0829	kevinelsenheimer@house.mi.gov	Yes
70	Judy Emmons	517-373-0834	judyemmons@house.mi.gov	Yes
83	John Espinoza	517-373-0835	johnespinoza@house.mi.gov	No
13	Barbara Farrah	517-373-0845	barbarafarrah@house.mi.gov	No
1	Edward Gaffney	517-373-0154	edwardgaffney@house.mi.gov	Yes
45	John Garfield	517-373-1773	johngarfield@house.mi.gov	Yes
106	Matthew Gillard	517-373-0833	matthewgillard@house.mi.gov	No
49	Lee Gonzales	517-373-7515	leegonzales@house.mi.gov	No
77	Kevin Green	517-373-2277	kevingreen@house.mi.gov	Yes
64	Martin Griffin	517-373-1795	martingriffin@house.mi.gov	Yes
48	Richard Hammel	517-373-7557	richardhammel@house.mi.gov	Yes
50	Ted Hammon	517-373-3906	tedhammon@house.mi.gov	No
100	Goeff Hansen	517-373-7317	goeffhansen@house.mi.gov	Yes
86	Dave Hildenbrand	517-373-0846	rephildenbrand@house.mi.gov	Yes
11	Morris Hood III	517-373-3815	morrishood3rd@house.mi.gov	No
61	Jacob Hoogendyk	517-373-1774	jackhoogendyk@house.mi.gov	Yes
22	Hoon-Yung Hopgood	517-373-0852	hoon-yunghopgood@house.mi.gov	No
94	Kenneth Horn	517-373-0837	kennethhorn@house.mi.gov	Yes
90	Bill Huizenga	517-373-0830	billhuizenga@house.mi.gov	Yes
47	Joe Hune	517-373-8835	joehune@house.mi.gov	Yes
9	Shanelle Jackson	517-373-1705	shanellejackson@house.mi.gov	No
5	Bert Johnson	517-373-0144	bertjohnson@house.mi.gov	No
60	Robert Jones	517-373-1785	robertjones@house.mi.gov	Yes
71	Rick Jones	517-373-0853	rickjones@house.mi.gov	No
41	Marty Knollenberg	517-373-1783	martyknollenberg@house.mi.gov	Yes
110	Michael Lahti	517-373-0850	mikelahti@house.mi.gov	No
21	Philip LaJoy	517-373-2575	phillajoy@house.mi.gov	Yes
23	Kathleen Law	517-373-0855	kathleenlaw@house.mi.gov	Yes
39	David Law	517-373-1799	davidlaw@house.mi.gov	No
18	Richard LeBlanc	517-373-2576	richardleblanc@house.mi.gov	No
10	Gabe Leland	517-373-6990	gabeleland@house.mi.gov	No
2	LaMar Lemmons Jr.	517-373-0106	lamarlemmonsjr@house.mi.gov	No
109	Steven Lindberg	517-373-0498	stevenlindberg@house.mi.gov	No
46	Jim Marleau	517-373-1798	jimmarleau@house.mi.gov	Yes
96	Jeff Mayes	517-373-0158	jeffmayes@house.mi.gov	No
107	Gary McDowell	517-373-2629	garymcdowell@house.mi.gov	No
69	Mark Meadows	517-373-1786	markmeadows@house.mi.gov	No
89	Arlan Meekhof	517-373-0838	arlanbmeekhof@house.mi.gov	Yes
27	Andy Meisner	517-373-0478	andymeisner@house.mi.gov	No
29	Tim Melton	517-373-0475	timmelton@house.mi.gov	No
33	Kim Meltzer	517-373-0820	kimmeltzer@house.mi.gov	Yes
31	Fred Miller	517-373-0159	fredmiller@house.mi.gov	No
98	John Moolenaar	517-373-1791	johnmoolenaar@house.mi.gov	Yes
97	Tim Moore	517-373-8962	timmoore@house.mi.gov	No
40	Chuck Moss	517-373-8670	chuckmoss@house.mi.gov	Yes
78	Neal Nitz	517-373-1796	nealnitz@house.mi.gov	Yes
62	Mike Nofs	517-373-0555	mikenofs@house.mi.gov	No
93	Paul Opsommer	517-373-1778	paulopsommer@house.mi.gov	Yes
36	Brian Palmer	517-373-0843	repbrianpalmer@house.mi.gov	Yes
101	David Palsrok	517-373-0825	davidpalsrok@house.mi.gov	Yes
19	John Pastor	517-373-3920	johnpastor@house.mi.gov	Yes
81	Phil Pavlov	517-373-1790	phillippavlov@house.mi.gov	Yes
73	Tom Pearce	517-373-0218	tompearce@house.mi.gov	Yes
15	Gino Polidori	517-373-0847	ginopolidori@house.mi.gov	No
79	John Proos	517-373-1403	johnproos@house.mi.gov	Yes
51	David Robertson	517-373-1780	davidrobertson@house.mi.gov	Yes
30	Tory Rocca	517-373-7768	toryrocca@house.mi.gov	No
76	Michael Sak	517-373-0822	speakerprotemsak@house.mi.gov	No
80	Tonya Schuitmaker	517-373-0839	tonyaschuitmaker@house.mi.gov	Yes
3	Bettie Cook Scott	517-373-1776	bettiecookscott@house.mi.gov	No
59	Rick Shaffer	517-373-0832	rickshaffer@house.mi.gov	Yes
88	Fulton Sheen	517-373-0836	fultonsheen@house.mi.gov	Yes
103	Joel Sheltrown	517-373-3817	joelsheltrown@house.mi.gov	No
65	Mike Simpson	517-373-1775	mikesimpson@house.mi.gov	No
7	Virgil Smith	517-373-0589	virgilsmith@house.mi.gov	Yes
54	Alma Smith	517-373-1771	almasmith@house.mi.gov	Yes
57	Dudley Spade	517-373-1706	dspade@house.mi.gov	No
82	John Stahl	517-373-1800	johnstahl@house.mi.gov	Yes
44	John Stakoe	517-373-2616	johnstakoe@house.mi.gov	Yes
72	Glenn Steil Jr.	517-373-0840	glennsteil@house.mi.gov	Yes
12	Steve Tobocman	517-373-0823	stevetobocman@house.mi.gov	Yes
37	Aldo Vagnozzi	517-373-1793	aldovagnozzi@house.mi.gov	No
91	Mary Valentine	517-373-3436	maryvalentine@house.mi.gov	No
104	Howard Walker	517-373-1766	howardwalker@house.mi.gov	Yes
66	Chris Ward