probably a good sign that you have a basically educated population in Tasmania, that don't regard government
individuals as gods or good fathers , to be entrusted with maximum control over what littile benefit people get from
their government.
On Mon May 29 22:14 , Ken Harvey sent:
Health smartcard fizzles
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19298551-23289,00.html
Karen Dearne
May 30, 2006
Scrapped: Tony Abbott spruiked the Medicare smartcard in 2004, but only
1 per cent of eligible Tasmanians gave it the nod
THE Medicare smartcard launched in Tasmania two years ago has been
quietly scrapped, a Senate estimates hearing has been told.
More than $4.5 million was spent on developing the card, which featured
a microchip with far greater data capacity than the magnetic strips on
current Medicare cards.
Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott launched the smartcard in Launceston
in 2004 as part of the now stalled HealthConnect electronic patient
record program. It is understood only 1 per cent of eligible Tasmanians
expressed interest in registering for the card.
Labor Party Queensland Senator Claire Moore said news that the program
had ended was a surprise. "We were informed by Human Services officials
that the Tasmanian trial had ended as of last Thursday, and that the
lessons from it would flow into the wider access card project," Ms Moore
said. "I'm wondering when they would have got around to telling us if we
hadn't asked the question."
Since the smartcard was developed, Medicare Australia has become part of
the Human Services mega-department, which is planning its own
multiple-agency card.
A spokeswoman for Human Services Minister Joe Hockey said no final
decision had been made on the card, but the Tasmanian trial was being
reassessed in light of Government approval for the access card.
"We're trying to work out how to manage the transition," she said. "We
don't want people to come in and register for the Medicare smartcard and
then have to get a new one when the access card is up and running.
"We may be in a position to announce what's happening later in the week."
People who already have the Medicare smartcard will be able to continue
using it, but the planned national extension of the card will not proceed.
Problems with establishing proof of identity for enrollment in the
program were revealed in Senate estimates hearings in February. Some
Tasmanians had been denied cards because they could not provide the
necessary documents.
Meanwhile, Mr Hockey was busy selling the virtues of the proposed
government access card to the Australian Medical Association conference
in Adelaide on Saturday.
"Customers won't have to deal with so much red tape and bureaucracy, as
their cards will prove who they are and remove the necessity to
repeatedly go through the proof of identity process."
A one-off registration process would be "as convenient as possible", he
said.
Mobile teams would be formed to help register people living in nursing
homes and remote communities as the card was phased in from 2008.
Mr Hockey said the "more radical fringes" of the privacy lobby had tried
to reignite an Australia Card debate, "however the public sees through
the tired rhetoric".
"The access card will be your passport to government services," he said.
"Rather than carrying around multiple cards that are susceptible to
fraud, the card will serve as a set of electronic keys. This will
enhance the individual's privacy."
Mr Hockey said the access card was not a national identity card because
individuals would control the information held on it. It would not be
mandatory to register for it, and people would not have to carry it at
all times.
"To put it bluntly, you won't have to take the access card with you to
the beach," he said. "Patients, for example, will not need to present
the card at a doctor's surgery unless they want a Medicare rebate.
"When your details change, for example if you move house, you'll be able
to update your information through an online portal or by visiting one
department. The card will then be updated when you next put it into a
government terminal."
Agencies would be better able to monitor eligibility for concessions -
"smart technology allows us to match the cancellation of an entitlement
with the card immediately", he said.
Information contained on the card and in the database would be protected
from unauthorised access. "The penalties, including jail terms, that
apply to Human Services agency staff for inappropriately accessing a
database, may even be increased".
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