Hospitals Are Using Credit Card Data To Predict People's Health

So, this sounds creepy: Some hospitals are identifying high-risk patients by buying loads of consumer data (i.e. credit card purchases, store loyalty programs, etc.) and plugging it into algorithms so they can step in before the customer gets sick. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, it's currently being used by Carolinas HealthCare System, which is using that type of data to survey the health of its two million members.