U.S. company Maximus assesses Canadian/U.K. health claims

[cursichella1]

I don't know much about U.K. or Canadian health benefits, but outsourcing benefit assessments, and to a foreign company, no less, strikes me as being odd. Especially now that we know how the "5 eyes" countries get around privacy issues by collecting data on each other's citizens. Aside from handing out lucrative contracts, I imagine it helps in holding the Government semi-blameless should the contractor's 'assessments' prove to be unpopular with citizens, but still...

Below the press release is an outtake and link to an editorial from a Canadian with major concerns about the same company, Maximus, and privacy of citizens personal and medical info. Apparently personal and medical info collected by an American company is subject to the U.S. Patriot Act. In other words, it isn't private.

Being in the U.S., I can't explain why this story is nagging at me, but it is. I'm curious if this contract and the implications have been a big deal in the U.K. or is it just business as usual? Also curious as to how Canadians have stomached it? Maximus certainly seems to have a monopoly going. Then the name itself, MAXIMUS. uh huh.

Department for Work and Pensions Selects MAXIMUS To Provide Health Related Assessment Services

Contracts and Awards
Thursday, October 30, 2014 6:29 am EDT
RESTON, Va.

"Assessments for people who apply for disability and long-term ill health benefits should be timely, respectful and fair. Our goal is to improve the overall customer experience by addressing certain challenges that exist today"

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MAXIMUS (NYSE:MMS), a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that its wholly owned United Kingdom subsidiary has been awarded a new contract to provide health-related assessment services for the United Kingdom’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The Company will begin work immediately with a four-month transition and mobilization period, followed by 36 months of operations that are expected to launch on March 1, 2015 and run through February 28, 2018. In addition, the DWP has the option to extend the contract for two additional years.

The United Kingdom Government provides a range of social welfare benefits for people who are currently out of work due to a long-term health condition or are unable to work as a result of a disability or health condition. The government has also decided that the best way to assess eligibility is through an independent health assessment...

The following is an editorial from Jan 2005 that seems to find all sorts of problems with the arrangements Canada has made with Maximus, including the fact that "Maximus records may be subject to the U.S. Patriot Act.":

ARE CANADIAN PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS HANDING OVER YOUR PERSONAL/MEDICAL
INFORMATION TO CORPORATIONS?

Health records may fall under Patriot Act

"The government plans to sign a contract August 31 (2005) with US-based Maximus to take over management of BC citizens' health and pharmaceutical records. Maximus is subject to the USA Patriot Act"

by Kevin Potvin

"The government plans to sign a contract August 31 with US-based Maximus to take over management of BC citizens’ health and pharmaceutical records. But the USA Patriot Act that would guide that company’s handling of our records directly contradicts our own Privacy Act that our government has committed any contractor to respecting."

...."Maximus is an interesting choice if patient privacy is the government’s top priority. Because Maximus is a US-based firm, it falls under the provisions of the USA Patriot Act. This extraordinary piece of legislation allows federal intelligence agencies virtually unfettered access to all documents in the possession of US companies, without any search warrants."

"Not that Maximus is run by the kind of people who would likely judge US intelligence intrusions into personal medical records to be terribly onerous. The President and CEO of Maximus, and founder of the company, is David V Mastran, who graduated with a B Sc in 1965 from United States Military Academy at West Point."

"John F Boyer is president and general manager of the health sciences unit at Maximus. Immediately prior to this post, he worked inside the Pentagon doing an unidentified job, but before that, he was a neurological instructor at the US Navy’s medical center. His educational credits include a degree from the Naval Postgraduate School."...