Individual healthcare identifier service
With the passing of new legislation, all persons will receive Individual Healthcare Identifiers (IHIs) under the Healthcare Identifiers Act. This will boost safety and quality for persons and cut waste and duplication.
Medicare Australia are assigning unique, 16-digit individual healthcare identifiers to the Australian public from the 1 July 2010.
This is a key building block in the Government’s e-Health reform agenda – helping to deliver a better, more streamlined health system for Australian families.
DVA treatment card holders
- DVA treatment card holders allocated a healthcare identifier will continue to receive health services under DVA health care arrangements.
- The healthcare identifier will not replace either the DVA file number or treatment cards.
- Healthcare identifiers will assist healthcare providers access the patient health information they require to make treatment decisions.
- Gold, White and Orange card holders should continue to present their card when receiving DVA funded health services.
- Veterans’ privacy will continue to be protected under existing Commonwealth, state and territory law.
More information about healthcare identifiers and the healthcare identifiers service is available via e-health or Medicare Australia.