8/3/2019 Labors RFID E-health Plan Technocracy
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Labor's E-Health: RFID and Technocracy
Patients have no choice - a health number ID for us all
By Sue Dunlevy The Daily Telegraph February 17, 2010 12:00AM YOU
are going to get a unique 16-digit health ID number on July 1 -
whether
you want one or not.
This is a despite a Rudd Government promise the new "e-health"
system would be onan opt-in basis.
You can opt not to have a tax file number but a spokeswoman for
Health MinisterNicola Roxon yesterday confirmed you will not be
able to opt out of the new health
identity system.
At first the new health ID number will not hold information but
eventually theGovernment wants it as the basis for a new electronic
health record. Patients will be able to decide whether they have an
e-health record that will give
doctors around the country access to information on medical
tests, operations and
other health information of a patient.
This will revolutionise the health system, make it faster and
easier for doctors to gettest results and improve patient safety by
making medication mix-ups less likely.
However, there are concerns that future governments may decide
to extend the use ofthe new e-health number beyond its initial
purpose.
In l987, the Hawke government scrapped a project for a national
identity systemcalled the Australia Card after it proved
unpopular.
Independent Senator Nick Xenophon said the new e-health system
had benefits butwanted a Senate inquiry to examine any privacy
concerns carefully.
"I can see it would be tempting for governments to use it for
more than its intendedpurpose," he said.
Ms Roxon said yesterday the ID could only be used for
healthcare. Although the new system starts on July 1, bureaucrats
running the system yesterday
could not say how it would confirm that a person trying to
access your health ID
number is actually a doctor.
Nor can they say how computers will know you gave permission to
share health datawith others.
They confirmed that some people, perhaps celebrities and
domestic violence victims,will be able to have pseudonyms attached
to their number to hide their identity.
And the Government will not send any correspondence telling you
your healthnumber either - if you want to know you will have to
ring a Medicare office and ask.
Most will first become aware of the new number when they visit a
doctor or healthfacility after July 1.
