Senate to examine eHealth ID number

James Riley
Monday, 01 March 2010 19:18

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Rudd Government has referred its controversial Healthcare Identifiers Bill – which seeks to attach a unique ID number to all Australians – to a Senate committee for examination, but given the public just one week to respond.

Under the legislation, which the Government hopes to pass by the middle of the year, every Australian will be issued with a 16 digit number in addition to their Medicare number.

It says the so-called Individual Healthcare Identifier (IHI) were essential to create a single process for accurately and consistently identifying patients and healthcare providers.

Government says the new IHI number is needed "as a further step to ensure the privacy and security of an e-health system."

Health Minister Nicola Roxon referred the Bill to the Senate Standing Committee on Community Affairs to consider the privacy safeguards of the Bill and to look at both the Healthcare Identifier Service it will create alongside Medicare, including who will have access to the identifier number.

The committee will also look at the relationship of the new IHI number to the broader national e-health agenda and to electronic health records.

Ms Roxon's office said the examination by the committee "gives the public and stakeholders an additional opportunity to find out further information about Individual Healthcare Identifiers and provide feedback on the proposed legislation."

The Bill was referred to the committee last Friday, and the public has until March 5 to make submissions. The committee is scheduled to report on March 15.