Instead of debates, can we please just have a bike race and a Brain MRI-off? It would do the voters FAR more good.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has required personnel at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to sign non-disclosure agreements before they could be involved with treating him, according to four people familiar with the process. During a surprise trip to Walter Reed on Nov. 16, 2019, Trump mandated signed NDAs from both physicians and nonmedical staff, most of whom are active-duty military service members, these people said. At least two doctors at Walter Reed who refused to sign NDAs were subsequently not permitted to have any involvement in the president's care, two of the people said. The reason for his trip last year remains shrouded in mystery. The four people familiar with the process did not know whether, during the president's most recent visit over the weekend, he had the same requirement for Walter Reed staff members who had not previously been involved in his care. Anyone providing medical services to the president — or any other American — is automatically prohibited by federal law from disclosing the patient's personal health information without consent. The existing legal protection for all patients under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, raises the question of why Trump would insist that staff members at Walter Reed sign NDAs. "Any physician caring for the President is bound by patient physician confidentiality guaranteed under HIPAA, and I'm not going to comment on internal procedures beyond that," White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement. In addition, all personnel assigned to the White House Medical Unit, which treats the president and the vice president day to day, are required to have special "Yankee White" security clearance. To obtain the clearance, they must be U.S. citizens and undergo extensive background checks. Walter Reed spokesperson Norris Agnew referred NBC News to the White House for comment. Trump has routinely required that employees at his company, the Trump Organization, sign non-disclosure agreements. He continued the practice when he ran for president and even with some White House officials after he took office. After Trump's unscheduled trip to Walter Reed last year, the White House said he was there to complete parts of his annual physical exam, which is usually done in one visit after the new year. "Anticipating a very busy 2020, the president is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington, D.C., to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed," Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary at the time, said in a statement. Trump's two previous physical exams as president had been announced in advance, and the medical staff at Walter Reed was widely notified to expect a high-level visit. Neither of those steps were taken ahead of Trump's visit last year.
There's already an NDA called HIPPA. Every patient signs a form stating they understand it. Of course, Trump reads everything he signs, so he knew that.
