this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2025
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234
Medicaid is giving ICE access to data of 79M enrollees, including ethnicity (therealnews.com)
submitted 5 days ago by Sunshine@lemmy.ca to c/privacy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 54 points 5 days ago (3 children)

It’s unthinkable that CMS would violate the trust of Medicaid enrollees in this way

Once again stolen medical records are being used for state oppression. In WWII, the Netherlands suffered 75% of their Jewish population killed - the highest of any country even Germany - because the invading Nazis made a beeline for the medical records archive where the government kept a meticulous track of all Dutch citizens. I never volunteer race or ethnicity on any such forms - there is no medical benefit, it can only come back to hurt you.

[–] breakingcups@lemmy.world 23 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Close, but it wasn't medical records but Population registration, a sort of census on steroids which kept meticulous details on every citizen in The Netherlands.

[–] TauZero@mander.xyz 17 points 5 days ago

Oh right, the Nazis will come for the 2020 Census data next.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 22 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

there is no medical benefit, it can only come back to hurt you.

This is the modern day mantra of data. If it isn't fundamentally required, then don't give it. There's no "just 'cause" when it comes to collecting info. And once info is given, you have zero control over it, no matter how many pinky promises or guarantees of governance are given, it's immediately out of your control.

[–] notsure@fedia.io 6 points 4 days ago

...when people become a numbered commodity...

[–] archiduc@lemmy.world 24 points 4 days ago (1 children)

That’s why France doesn’t have an ethnicity database and why t’s illegal to ask for it.

[–] Noodle07@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

This is so obvious too

[–] lauha@lemmy.world 23 points 4 days ago (6 children)

As not yankee, why is ethnicity even stored in that database??

[–] LodeMike@lemmy.today 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Race is somewhat relevant to medical care. I forget why?

[–] anonymouse2@sh.itjust.works 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It can be helpful to be able to track medical trends within an ethnic group, or to focus on certain diseases that only affect a specific group (e.g. sickle cell in the Black community). Unfortunately, that same data in the wrong hands becomes a problem.

[–] TankovayaDiviziya@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago

Fwiw, Asians are lactose intolerant. Scandinavians are more prone to diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 days ago

Straight answer:

Shitlibs had to add means testing to all social programs and had to collect data saying xyz group was underserved and also had a data fetish.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Straight answer:

Shitlibs had to add means testing to all social programs and had to collect data saying xyz group was underserved and also had a data fetish.

No of course this coukd never be abused; we made a law saying not to!

[–] sleepundertheleaves@infosec.pub 16 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Alternate, less hostile interpretation:

Non-white patients have across the board received worse medical care and had worst medical outcomes than white patients. The American medical system is racially biased. That's not identity politics, that's statistics.

And you can't effectively fight racial bias, or judge how well your efforts to fight it are going, if your data set doesn't include information on race.

Or, as the US government put it:

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health outcomes have been well documented. Such disparities are particularly relevant for Medicaid given that more than half of the program’s 73 million beneficiaries identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian American, or another non-white race or ethnicity. Addressing disparities and promoting equity in coverage, access, experience, and outcomes among historically marginalized and underserved populations will depend in part on having complete and systemically collected data by race and ethnicity. Source.

If you don't measure it, you can't manage it, as the saying goes.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 4 days ago

And how did all that data collection do with mitigating racial bias? Most of my poc friends won't even go to a hospital consensually, before this shit went down.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Exactly. You can't just go off of vibes or self-reporting.

It sucks that the data needed to be collected at all, but it's not the fault of people who actually cared that fascists are now taking their work and using it to further fascism.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 4 days ago

You dont need to collect fuvking data umless you're means testing everything.

If you just stop the class based rationing, you do not need to do that.

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 days ago

Missing the real question that we all know the answer to: why are they asking?

[–] Spacehooks@reddthat.com 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

According to the blood donor ppl, it helps to give ppl similar blood. I dk how much bs that is. That's just what they told me.

[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago

It is BS. Blood typing exists.

[–] kalapala@sopuli.xyz 1 points 4 days ago

Are the same people saying they have nothing to hide?

[–] Akasazh@feddit.nl 6 points 4 days ago

Oh boy...

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

They will be looking for POCs specifically

[–] outhouseperilous@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 4 days ago

Hey. Thats not necessarily true!

Could be using a white list.

[–] altphoto@lemmy.today 2 points 4 days ago

Holyfakamoly!

[–] notsure@fedia.io 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

...the weak are very accessible...

[–] notsure@fedia.io 0 points 4 days ago

...you downvoters don't think the weak are accessible?..