> HIPPA prevents gossip. That’s about it.
I agree that HIPPA is technically very weak.
But let's also agree that preventing gossip about private health info is a good thing -- a definite step in the right direction.
Laws are about building and reinforcing the culture we want to build. In that light, HIPPA is a long way from a failure: it sets the standard that "health care privacy is to be taken seriously, and as a society we believe it is important enough to legislate", if nothing else.
