Click the image for the entire letter...

A representative from Google just sent us a letter that Google's VP of Public Policy and Communications Rachel Whetstone sent to Consumer Watchdog yesterday. Whetstone addresses each of Consumer Watchdog's claims and explains more specifically which topics Google was lobbying the federal government about. 

"As you know, Google Health is a Personal Health Record (PHR) launched in May of 2008 that helps consumers organize, manage and store their medical records online," Whetstone wrote. "Google Health is free to consumers and partners that integrate with the service. Our PHR service does not include any advertising and protects users' privacy by not selling their data and by giving them control over who their health information is shared with."

Whetstone goes on to explain that the company lobbied the federal government on PHR-related issues and ARRA, but the company was encouraging the government to develop national standards for data portability between PHRs and related medical records and institutions, to provide incentives to encourage the industry to adopt these data portability standards, to appropriately reimburse physicians for superior outcomes and transparency, and to protect consumer privacy.

Read the entire letter that Whetstone sent to Consumer Watchdog's Jamie Court here. (.pdf)