I genuinely don't understand. Is it that the majority have some secret pre-existing conditions and are afraid the insurance companies might realize?
Every time I visit a new doctor I need to spend ~ 10 minutes to fill out a long multi page form on paper listing all my medical history which could've been loaded from some database. I want my data to be analyzed and used to derive insights and help future patients.
It's not US specific, the privacy of health information goes back to at least the Hippocratic oath.
> Is it that the majority have some secret pre-existing conditions and are afraid the insurance companies might realize?
A lot of people do. Not just embarrassing conditions but they keep notes on mental health, drinking habits, illicit drug use, etc. If that information leaked out you could expect everyone from future employers to dates to be taking a look.