[LINK] [Fwd: E-HEALTH Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs]

[Stilgherrian]

On 03/03/2010, at 10:30 AM, Brenda Aynsley wrote:
> I thought the e-health identifier was to be the medicare number?  Is 
> this another attempt at introducing an Australia Card?

Medicare numbers are not unique to an individual. Currently members of a family often sit on the same Medicare number as "person number 1" etc.

I suspect (without any more thought than that expended as I type this sentence) that moving everyone to a unique identifier would enhance privacy. Think daughter of controlling father seeking advice on birth control.

Whether a health identifier is an "Australia Card" depends on which aspects of Australiacardness you wish to emphasise for political purposes. ;)

In the Austrian health system, everyone has a unique identifier, but they they present a pseudonym to each health provider -- a different but consistent pseudonym for each. The provider knows the person is an Austrian citizen and entitled to care, but they cannot match them to any other part of their life. A similar system is rolling out across the Danish government, banking and education sector.

I spoke to one of the people who worked on this in a recent "Patch Monday" podcast.

http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/patch-monday/soa/Proving-your-identity-online/0,2001107879,339301276,00.htm
or
http://is.gd/9ySXP

The program intro presents some background, and the relevant interview starts around 4'35".

Stil


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