Tim Churches wrote:
Yes, yes, and if you re-read my post, you will noted that I said:
"One has to ask the question: why not just jump directly
to a national health care identifier, particularly when we are already
80% of the way there with the Medicare number. Yes, it would take some
(minor) legislative change to allow the Medicare number to be used
universally, yes, Medicare numbers would need to be made unique to
each person
I understand that although the numbers visible on each person's Medicare
card may change over time (because the cards expire, changes in the
person's family situation, etc.), there is already an unchanging and
unique number assigned to each of us, within Medicare Australia, that
does uniquely identify each of us, at least to the limits of the
evidence of identity currently sought by Medicare Australia. I
understand that privacy laws prevent this unchanging and unique number
from being used as a Unique Patient Identifier by the health system. Pity.
--
Oliver Frank, general practitioner
255 North East Road, Hampstead Gardens, South Australia 5086
Phone 08 8261 1355 Fax 08 8266 5149 Mobile 0407 181 683
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