State Privacy Laws Could Wreak Havoc on Medical Device Industry

Please regulate us. That’s the message companies handling patient data are sending to Congress, fearing a patchwork of state rules that will put them at a global disadvantage.

Patient data privacy bills from both Republicans and Democrats have stalled in Congress heading into an election year and a possible impeachment fight. That makes businesses like Johnson and Johnson Inc. and Stryker Corp. uneasy as California readies its own rules letting patients decline the sale of their data and giving them the right to sue if their information is stolen due to company negligence.

Any legislation is looking rocky with the ...