... I assume it is the CLINIC that requires ID, and NOT the pharmacy, right? (In which case, get the prescription with an initial for your first name, then give a different name to the pharmacy.)

Precisely the opposite. It is the PHARMACY that requires picture ID and it must match the information on the prescription. This requirement is spreading from obtaining narcotics to just about any prescription. Several states require that Pharmacists verify and log the identity of the person picking up the prescription, to help prevent prescription fraud.

For controlled substances, such as narcotics or methamphetamine precursors it's a class four felony in Colorado to, "(1) (a) No person shall obtain a controlled substance or procure the administration of a controlled substance by fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, or subterfuge; or by the forgery or alteration of an order; or by the concealment of a material fact; or by the use of a false name or the giving of a false address."

Federal law is even harsher when it comes to prescription drugs. And with the computerization of medical records, it's going to be much harder, and your prescriptions will go directly from your doctor to the pharmacy by computer, so your real name has to appear in the medical records, eventually. Or so I expect.

About the only way I can see to preserve privacy when getting prescriptions is to deal with a pharmacy a long way away from where you live and commit a felony every time by giving a ghost address.

... From what you say, it is NOT a felony for normal presciptions (e.g., not for a controlled substance or for pain meds). And many states are light years away from Colorado, at least so far.

My phone number is in a different city and would be easy to locate in a different country.

I know a missionary in another country who has a US phone number..

I didn't give up. I purchased a $100 gift card at a grocery store (link below, max $100) and registered it online. I checked the box marked "foreign address" and then entered my Canadian ghost address and a bogus Canadian phone number.

I entered my order... the only thing that I got stuck on was the 911 address. You can shut it off after service is established, but you must use a real address. I used the address of my immigration attorney in another province.

Bing. The order went through as well as the 911 confirmation and my Vonage box shipped.

I have a Canadian phone number for 20 loonies a month! I will update in about a week or so when/if I actually get the vonage box.

Submitted Link #1: https://www.consumercardaccess.com/main/mygiftcard...

1. Some of your information is viewable by everyone.

2. Your list of friends may also be public.

3. You can hide yourself from Web searches.

4. Beware of third-party applications.

5. Go over your list of friends.

6. Create custom friends groups.

7. Customize your status posts.

8. Let your friends know you have boundaries — in person.

9. Never assume complete privacy.

Also keep your children out also.

Submitted Link #1: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091217/ap_on_hi_te/us...

And just last month, two men were accused of a GPS-guided crime spree in Michigan and northern Ohio. They allegedly broke into vehicles parked at shopping centers, stole the units and then burglarized home after home. Police figure the same pair may have been responsible for burglaries in about 20 communities.

This "take me home" function works in reverse as well, helping police identify the owners of lost or stolen GPS devices. In November, police in New Jersey found a Garmin unit in a small cache of stolen goods. By setting the device to its home setting, they were able to identify the owner and return it.

The home setting doesn't always point to home. Some drivers input a different address from time to time -- an eventuality sure to confuse any would-be burglars. One interesting selection, of course, would be a police station in your neighborhood.

Submitted Link #1: http://autos.aol.com/article/gps-thief-home-invasi...

First, it's highly possible that the release of your medical information (the fact that you have diabetes) along with your name and address, is a violation of the federal Health Insurance Privacy Act. You should consider filing a lawsuit against your medical provider and the lab involved.

Second, your concern is entirely valid. Once information is computerized, the chances that it will be misused is extremely high, and getting your information out of the system is virtually impossible once they have it.

When it comes to marketing, both your doctor and the lab have a significant financial incentive to release personal information to outside vendors, who pay for such information. It's a revenue stream that's hard to resist.

Preventing this sort of thing can be difficult, and it requires a significant investment in time and effort to make it clear to your medical care providers that ABSOLUTELY NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER about you or your medical conditions are to be released to ANYONE without your express written permission.

This has to be done IN WRITING, and you have to be careful to read EVERY WORD of the legal language on the back of any medical form you sign. You ARE ALLOWED to cross out any provisions that do not apply to you or that you do not agree with. It's a CONTRACT, which means you have negotiating power. Too many people just sign the form without bothering to find out that they have just given permission to essentially publish your medical information on a billboard in LA.

You have to be VERY CAREFUL about signing releases. You should always refuse to sign whenever possible, and submit only if they refuse you service if you don't sign, and even then you should CROSS OUT AND INITIAL anything you don't want to allow them to do, and require them to give you a photocopy of the updated contract.

In many cases, they won't quibble with you because they know what they were asking for was outrageous and that you have every right to refuse to agree.

Keep copies of EVERYTHING you sign, no matter what, forever, and do NOTHING verbally, always do it in writing.

I'll use myself as an example. When I moved to my new town and began being serious about my privacy, I sought out a local medical clinic that DID NOT use computers for keeping medical records. I specifically inquired about how they would be keeping my records and was assured that they did not have any data on any computer other than the billing software, and that their system did not interface with any outside system.

I thought this would be sufficient, but I was wrong. I too had some routine blood tests done. Because I was sick of receiving three bills for blood work, one from the clinic for the office visit, one from the lab for the lab work, and one from a pathologist who oversees the lab for his "review" of my tests, I told the clinic that I would be paying ONCE ONLY. I would pay THEM for the office visit and all associated lab work, and that THEY would have to pay the lab. They agreed to this, and in fact had a "lab out" system for precisely this purpose that was also much cheaper than the lab charges because the clinic negotiated a discount based on the large number of tests they requested each month. The savings over paying the lab directly was more than 50 percent.

I was able to do this because I pay my own medical bills and do not have health insurance, which means that I can dictate the terms of my medical care, not have them dictated to me by an insurance company.

About three months after the visit, I began receiving bills at my post office box (the only address I ever gave or will give the clinic) from a lab in New Jersey, claiming that I owed them hundreds of dollars in lab fees. I went to the clinic and they contacted the lab to correct the error, but I kept getting the bills.

I finally had a sit-down with the office manager at the clinic and explained to her that this was an attempt at fraud by the lab. They had already been paid, but they thought they could send me a bill and I'd just pay it or give it to my insurance company, and they would get paid twice. We ended up on a conference call with the CEO of the lab, wherein I threatened him with serious legal action if he sent me another bill or released my address or information to anyone, ever. I requested that they purge their files, and he agreed to do so.

I spent a long time with the office manager explaining to her that I am a former police officer who has arrested many nasty people who are now getting out of jail and would love to find me for some payback, and that I needed to have ABSOLUTE confidentiality in my medical records and lab tests.

They worked out a system whereby my medical records are clearly marked on the folder not to release my name to ANYONE other than those on a specific list I provided to them, particularly the lab, without my express permission. My lab tests will be identified by the name "No Name", my gender, and the true year of my birth (but false month and day). This is the only information any lab should require. In fact, all the lab should need is an identifying number that means nothing to the lab but can be correlated with your medical records by your doctor, a gender, and an age, and that's all you should allow your doctor to send to them.

Of course, this doesn't apply if they have to bill you for the service, which is a problem. If that's the case, then you have to set up the same sort of written confidentiality agreement with the lab you use (and you CAN select your own, local lab to have your blood work done, pay in cash, and use a pseudonym with them, and take the results to your doctor yourself), which will take some time, but should provide adequate confidentiality if done properly.

When they computerize their medical records next year, my records will also be entered under the name "No Name" and only the office manager will be able to correlate my true name with my medical record.

Indeed, the only reason anyone there knows my real name at all is for prescriptions. It is simply impossible to get prescriptions without a valid ID, especially pain meds, so I'm forced to give the clinic my true name.

However, by using a small, private clinic and having a detailed, frank discussion with them about my privacy needs, I was able to gain substantial privacy protection.

The bottom line is that each of us must take the time to ensure that our privacy is maintained, and it can mean a lot of work sometimes, but it's worth it.

... You say "It is simply impossible to get prescriptions without a valid ID, especially pain meds, so I'm forced to give the clinic my true name."

... I assume it is the CLINIC that requires ID, and NOT the pharmacy, right? (In which case, get the prescription with an initial for your first name, then give a different name to the pharmacy.)

I told the lady that I received their advertisement for help with diabetic feet, but what I really wanted to know was how could they know I have diabetic feet, and I don't know that myself? A long pause, then she said, that they hired a company to do their advertisements and they probably got my name somewhere. I asked the name of this company but she refused to tell me. I also told her that it was her responsibility to make sure my name wasn't on ANY more of their mailing lists. I haven't received any more mailings for diabetes.

Six months later, I was at my doc's and I made a comment about being diagnosed by a shoe company as having diabetes, and she wanted to know what I was talking about, so I told her. She said, "probably someone at the lab where the tests were done, sold a marketing company my name and address, just because of the request to test my blood for diabetes". I was shocked. I'm still very upset about this breech, and refused to have any more blood work done. How can a lab legally do this?

I tell you all this to give you an idea as to why I was interested in the article titled "Genetic disease patients may lose privacy rights to protect families". Take the time to read the comments at the end of the article. A lot to think about.

... (I deleted the link because it would not work.)

Shows specializing in this item as paper memorabilia events (not comic/baseball) will have US stamps. Use a bit of multi-purpose glue to secure. Do not use tape on the face as the post office will have a fit... they can't 'kill' the stamp (fearing it may be 'reused)!

I am pleased with my pager from American Messaging, and with their service. (See link below. I got the "Unication Alpha Elite" text pager.) For privacy purposes, avoid the two-way pagers and go with a text pager or a numeric pager.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.americanmessaging.net/...

I will be purchasing a house and I will not be able to buy in under an LLC due to requiring a mortgage on the home.

There is an ex-boyfriend from my past that I do not want finding me. I know he searches the internet and property records. So I am trying to think of a way not to have my name on the property records.

I am thinking of changing my last name while I am in France (I have dual-citizenship) and then when I buy a home in Colorado, the mortgage company will have the new last name for the property records. This method is a little drastic for me but I can't think of another way?

Has anyone done this or any suggestions as to whether it will work or not? Thank you! Kate

... I urge you to NOT buy a house you cannot pay cash for. Instead, rent. In addition to usually being cheaper, you can MOVE FAST when the situation requires it.

Social workers may or may not have access to confidential government computer systems, depending on the state and their position.

The solution is to make this person an EX social worker by filing a criminal case and demanding all the protections that stalking victims are entitled to in that particular state, including an emergency CCW permit.

It's EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that the victim file a criminal complaint, because a social worker who abuses his or her authority can make your life hell, particularly if you have kids.

Yes, it's a scam.

Submitted Link #1: http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/r23448773-ww...