A little-known group routinely approves requests for your sensitive information.

For 2 years, they have approved requests from researchers for data in a massive health “data warehouse,” state records show.

Comptroller general records show that from fiscal 2015 through mid-November 2018, 14 state agencies paid $14 million in taxpayer dollars for such information.

The records give no specifics about the payments.

The medical records database, managed by the state Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, was created in 2002 and is renewed annually.

Last August, we revealed that a state privacy law and inter-agency agreements give little privacy protection for anyone who deals with SC agencies that provide records for the database.

Lawmakers wanted to launch a similar “data warehouse” to track sensitive education and workforce information on children and adults, but Gov. Henry Mc-Master vetoed it after we raised privacy concerns.

The existing database contains medical claims data provided by the Department of Health and Human Services, including the names, dates of birth and medical treatment records of Medicaid patients to give health care providers patients’ medical records.

Restricted data includes your birth date, zip code, medical record number, assigned facility, and admission and discharge dates.

How well the records are protected when released isn’t clear. On Feb. 16, 2017, for example, a “masterlist” containing names, dates of births and Social Security numbers of Medicaid patients went to a Harvard University researcher.

Records didn’t reveal how many patients were to be involved or whether written permission from patients would be obtained before their data was released.

The request was approved by 3 panelists, though under state law the panel is supposed to have 15 members.

The agencies did not respond to written questions.

The Governor’s Office did not respond to 3 written requests seeking comment.

Brundrett is the news editor of The Nerve. Contact him at 803-254-4411 or rick@the-nerve.org .