by Ann Althouse on Flickr I remember reading, a year or so ago, about a young woman whose medical care for her anorexia was denied by her health insurance provider. Her parents banned together with other parents posed with similar issues to sue their insurance company for costs incurred in their daughters' treatment. The insurance company's stance is that anorexia is a psychological rather than biological affliction and thus they aren't obligated to cover associated costs. (Which causes one to wonder whether they grant coverage for the ills associated with being overweight -- or smoking and its drawn-out and oft fatal afflictions?)

Then last week, The Economist mentioned an insidious development in the case (Beye v. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Of New Jersey, Inc.). The health insurance company, Horizon, demanded access to all digital communications of the young women -- Facebook, IM threads, blogs, email, text messages, the entire lot. When the lawyer for the girls objected on the grounds of invasion of privacy, he lost.

There are several issues with this. First, the technology is new. Only recently have the Y Generation started taking seriously their elders' warnings about the internet being a permanent system of record for their online activities. Second, the young women are minors so, in my opinion, deserve the protection of privacy appropriate for children. The legal system affords special treatment and leniency for minors in many regards -- this should extend to digital privacy.

And adults should heed the story of this lawsuit as well -- don't blog about your great ski trip to Aspen when you're on workers' comp.