You're not my nanny...

and, You're Fired.

Information compiled by data brokers from public records and credit card transactions can reveal where a person shops, the food they buy, and whether they smoke. The largest hospital chain in the Carolinas is plugging data for 2 million people into algorithms designed to identify high-risk patients, while Pennsylvania’s biggest system uses household and demographic data.

MSN

Bloomberg 

Is this really where we want to go?

Do you want your healthcare provider monitoring your purchases?  If my doctor called to discuss say, the amount of bacon I purchased, or alcohol, or even cigars, that would be it.  End of business relationship, and I would tell them in choice words that shouldn't be reprinted here.

We really need to stand up and let these companies know we are not going to tolerate these practices and are not going to do business with them if that is the way they operate.  Of course, the vast majority of us are mere lemmings, enthralled by the convenience of a Visa or Discover card, so you know nothing's going to happen and nothing's going to change.  Mores the shame.