Government Will Track BMI by 2014
This writer was born of a woman who weighed about 99 lbs and brought up on a Mediterranean diet served three times daily, not allowed to eat between meals, and not allowed sodas or sweets unless it was a special occasion. However, due to a body type inherited from the other parent, it is hardly imaginable that the aforementioned person would have had an acceptable BMI even at age 4…
“All Americans, by 2014 will be required to have an individual obesity rating electronically recorded. It has been determined that under the new health stimulus law passed by President Barack Obama recently, that all Americans, by 2014, will be required to have electronic health records which will include their height, weight and body mass index (BMI).”
What will happen to those who don’t have the proper Body Mass Index after the government starts collecting this data and even if the person follows a proper diet? Will they be denied certain care?
Will this data be kept anonymously and used only for statistical purposes or will it be attached to the person’s name?
“Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for Health and Human Services (HHS), shared on Tuesday that under the stimulus law, health care providers, including doctors and hospitals, must establish “meaningful use” of EHRs by 2014 in order to qualify for federal subsidies. If they do not comply, they will risk getting penalized in the form of diminished Medicare and Medicaid payments.”