Ken Harvey wrote:
Health smartcard fizzles
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.
Which individuals? The individual with the card, or the individual in
the bureaucracy?
"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.
Now we are getting down to it. If you want to get pensions, Medicare
rebates, etc. you will be required to have the card. About as optional
as breathing. Apply to tax rebates too, I suppose?
"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."
And what will you have to do to verify the new information? Copy of the
lease in your name, new title deeds? Only one department to visit,
sorry, no branch in your town or suburb. So after we've all travelled,
cued up and verified ourselves again, the new details will be simply
provided to us via a government terminal.
Horst is right, the Tasmanians were right, any encouragement given to
them is a mistake. The Privacy laws are a waste of time when a motor
vehicle insurer demands to know the details of your prescribed
medication when another car runs into the back of you and the guy at the
Privacy Hotline isn't interested.
The situation may get ugly though when the government tries to coerce us
into using it.
Greg
--
Greg Twyford
Information Management & Technology Program Officer
Canterbury Division of General Practice
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ph.: 02 9787 9033
Fax: 02 9787 9200
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