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So I broke a tooth, went to the dentist, they referred me to an endodontist - fun, fun.
A few months ago, I came across an article where a very popular s/w package that is sold to doctor practices is collecting and selling your data. Since they get the info before it hits the practice IT system, it does not fall under HIPPA. For those of you not the US, HIPPA is short for "thou shalt not share medical information without the patient's consent." Theoretically, big trouble if you do share it. It applies to any medical profession.
Back to the endodontist site, so to fill out the form, I have to agree to 3 pages of such legalize that its absurd. If my data is misused, I have to agree to arbitration no law suit, and I have to do it in the courts of California, yada, yada, yada. Oh, and if the terms change, it's MY responsibility to periodically check back to see if any of the changes bother me. How can that be a valid contract/agreement?
It makes me wonder how many times we just "agree" to this crap and have no concept of what we are agreeing too.
OOO, just got off the phone with the endodontist office - lol. Pissed off. I'd be happy to fill out a piece of paper - oh we don't do that. Okay then, please cancel my appointment. Well, there is a charge for a missed appointment - sure, give it a shot. lol.
Reminds me - does it bother anyone else that medical/dental practices have all gotten happy with the missed appointment fees, but they are not responsible for their own tardiness?
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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charlieg wrote: Do you actually read the "use agreements" of websites?
I probably should, but I don't.
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Yes and no...
Yes for sites that matter - like when I buy a product or service
No for anything insignificant...
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." ― Albert Einstein
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This is the problem. If you don't sign/agree, you don't get service. I asked the lady at the front desk on my last visit what I was signing when she asked me to sign 3 times without showing me what I was signing. I said, how do I know what I'm signing. She did offer to print it off for me. Of course I just signed cause I wanted care 
Hogan
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Truth, and here in lies the rub.
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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Focus on the context. Sure, go out to reddit (what a cesspool) and create an account - I'm okay with that.
Medical records? That's a different story. And these doctors, dentists, business office managers have no clue what they are buying. They are in fact writing the check and clicking "Accept".
A few years ago my dearest became very interested in family genealogy. She was tracing roots back as far as we could go. I'm in the US, so one side of my family came from Ireland, the other side from England. Her side was English/German. We used a DNA site to learn more - then the DNA site - those elephanting SOBs sold the data to the FBI. I'm sure it was completely legit in the terms of agreement - or not - they probably changed the terms, and users never logged in to check the changes.
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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charlieg wrote: those elephanting SOBs sold the data to the FBI
Is that how they found you...?
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who is they, and what is your point? 
Charlie Gilley
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” BF, 1759
Has never been more appropriate.
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charlieg wrote: those elephanting SOBs sold the data to the FBI
I remember Neil deGrasse Tyson was pushing 23andme pretty hard as an advertiser for his Star Talk podcast. Then it became public knowledge that yes, they were indeed selling the data to the FBI. Seems to me that this sort of thing ought to be front and center, not hidden in some tiny print near the end of some EULA.
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charlieg wrote: that is sold to doctor practices is collecting and selling your data. Since they get the info before it hits the practice IT system, it does not fall under HIPPA.
FBI conducted 3.4 million warrantless queries last year to a database originally intended only to be used for foreign nationals but which now contains data on US citizens. And there is no way for you to find out if one of those included you. (Far as I have been able to determine the FBI has never identified a single foreign national threat in the US using that database as the original source.)
So myself I don't get too concerned if someone wants data to target an ad to me about toothpaste.
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I check them, every time, absolutely!
not
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I was more shocked to find out you guys have "missed appointment fees" rather than the fact that they are selling patient data lol
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I don't think that they could get away with that in the UK or EU.
There is a concept of reasonableness in contract law which means that you can't bury unreasonable clauses that someone is expected to read in a long contract.
Essentially they would need to make it very clear upfront, probably through several screens asking you to click "Yes I am ok with you sharing my medical data with a third party" more than once.
“That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.”
― Christopher Hitchens
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I wouldn't think that a 'missed appointment' would be the same thing as a 'cancelled appointment'. A 'cancelled appointment' shouldn't incur a 'missed appointment fee'.
As someone who loves to code, and loves to read, and has had to cut-back on reading becuase it seems I am outliving my eyesight, I don't accept responsibility for signing my name on anything i can't read. That means for me to be able to read it, make the font Liberation Sans, everything boldface, and everything 14 point size. Otherwise, it is all just a huge white blur. So legal agreements that have lot's of fine print I don't even TRY to read. Sorry to say this, but software licenses have also gotten way out of hand and impossible to decode. If I'd wanted to read, write, and decode legalese, I would have wasted my time in law school instead of computer science school.
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Living in a country with strong customer protection agencies (backed by strong customer protection law) got its perks: I don't have to sip through this legalese which, I swear, is written in a manner as obtuse as possible on purpose. Should they write something there which puts the user at an unfair disadvantage, it won't hold in court anyway so I don't have to care.
I'm not bothered about missed appointment fees. In fact, they could be higher. It's not like they're doing it to earn an extra buck, appointments are a rare commodity and if you don't use your slot and don't tell them so they can fill in another patient, that's actually kinda evil.
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I don't need to, as they aren't "binding".
Everyone clicks blindly on accept; any agreement based on deception or force, is not enforceable. In court, it would not be an agreement.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
"If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Yes, I've been looking for this!
After weeks of working with the Windows 11 task bar I can safely say it sucks and it's not built for productivity.
Now I just need my Windows 10 start menu back.
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I have been using it for months. All day everyday on two different computers.
I could not survive without it.
Small issues. When updating it will sometimes die. Then I have to go find it and reinstall and get it going again.
If you futz with the settings it sometimes goes away for a bit. Just reset the app and everything is hunky dorry again.
I seriously forget I installed it quite often it works sooo well.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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Conduct rope pointer! (9)
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Wild stab here....... Direction ?
Conduct = Direct
Rope ? Ion
Pointer = Direction ?
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A wild stab indeed - and a swing and a miss there as well. 
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Ahh well - still early in the morning after a Thanksgiving break..........
Best wishes in any case 
- Craig
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Another wild guess Reference
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!" - Hunter S Thompson - RIP
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