Here’s an issue that we’d like to see disappear: the push to gag patients from talking online about the quality of service they receive from their doctors.

We were really encouraged recently to learn about an action taken in the last several weeks by the Office of Civil Rights for the federal department of Health and Human Services. That office enforces the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA.) A few weeks ago, it forced a doctors’ practice to stop requiring patients to sign waivers in exchange for privacy protections already mandated under the law. While that was a really narrow ruling, we’re hoping it’s a message to the medical community who think gag orders are a good thing.

We’ve been collecting health care reports from members for two years now and it’s been a great experience. We’ve heard from a lot of physicians who agree that they can learn how to better serve their patients from them. We’ve even interceded to help one of our members who was being unfairly charged for a service she didn’t receive.

So thanks for any reporting you’ve done already. Please keep it up, and don’t hesitate to ask your doctor what position he or she is taking on the medical gag order issue.