Where Rhode Islanders have evidence of the state government’s ability to run innovative projects in an efficient, predictable, and secure way, the evidence isn’t encouraging.

Among the more depressing trends in Rhode Island government is the continued march toward government control of health care, such as explicitly envisioned in legislation currently in the pipeline.  The fault (and the depressing element) lies with voters, who aren’t likely to vote these legislators out of office as the threat to our health and safety that they are.

If Rhode Islanders were paying attention enough to see through the spin of government officials and local media alike, they’d observe the complete inversion of enrollees in the state’s new health benefits exchange, which has brought in many more people who’ll cost money and many fewer who’ll pay it than were expected during the planning stages.

The push toward single-payer is a march of crusaders, acting entirely on the faith that government just makes things better.

Adherents to that faith, as I said, ought to be pushed rapidly out of office — to the sound of laughter, if it’s still possible to laugh at the state’s condition.

For another small indication that this would be entirely the correct response, consider the state’s All-Payer Claims Data Base Project.  I have, in hand, the notifications about the data base sent out by both Blue Cross and UnitedHealthcare, but it is the former that gives the best indication of the intent of the project (emphasis added):

This database is being created by the state to provide reports about healthcare quality, cost, and reforms. As a health insurer BCBSRI is required by law to participate by sending information to the APCD.

Both notifications give assurances that identity will not be linked to information and, in any case, that the information will be secure.  But if those assurances aren’t enough, don’t worry, there’s a Web site through which you can opt out: www.riapcd-optout.com.

Unfortunately, the Web site is not available, and for a disconcerting reason.  As the Opera Web browser puts it:

Unable to complete secure transaction

You tried to access the address http://www.riapcd-optout.com/, which is currently unavailable…

The certificate has been revoked by its issuer. It is no longer valid. In the worst case it may be used by criminals for fraudulent purposes. The website owner must immediately replace the certificate.

The Chrome browser’s message is even more alarming:

If you were to visit www.riapcd-optout.com right now, you might share private information with an attacker.

Why should any Rhode Islander trust that this site will be safe, if the state government ever bothers to make it active?  Or that the database will be as secure and private as promised?  Or that the state government of Rhode Island has any business whatsoever forcing individuals and businesses to give it sensitive information?