Implanted Medical Chips and Patient Privacy

From the Washington Post: The good news is you can have a microchip implanted under your skin to provide instant access to your computerized medical record, which is great if you arrive unconscious in the ER. The bad news, your medical privacy is put at risk.

The Verichip is being aggressively marketed by its manufacturer, which is targeting Washington to be the first metropolitan area with multiple hospitals equipped to read the device. Some doctors are welcoming the technology as an exciting innovation that will speed care and prevent errors. But the concept alarms privacy advocates. They worry the devices could make it easier for unauthorized snoops to invade medical records. They also fear that the technology marks a dangerous step toward an Orwellian future in which people will be monitored using the chips or will be required to have them inserted for surveillance.