Platkin Sues Trump Administration for Illegally Sharing Personal Health Data

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today joined a multistate coalition in filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) decision to allow unfettered access to individual personal health data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which houses Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in violation of multiple federal laws.

Ever since Congress passed the law creating Medicaid in 1965, federal law, policy, and practice has been clear about the confidentiality of the personal healthcare data collected about the people enrolled in the program, which provides medical assistance to vulnerable populations. There are only certain narrow circumstances where this data could be shared, such as for the benefit of public health and the integrity of…