Quote Of The Year

Timeless Quotes - Sadly The Late Paul Shetler - "Its not Your Health Record it's a Government Record Of Your Health Information"

or

H. L. Mencken - "For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong."

Thursday, March 31, 2016

The Macro View - General And Health News Relevant To E-Health And Health In General.

March 31 Edition
The macroeconomic stresses seem to have eased a little more with markets rising around the world. Indeed the stock market indices in the US are flat for the calendar year.
In Australia, things are also looking up for the present, although the long weekend has slowed improvement down.
With Budget Night now May 3 we won’t have long to wait to see what is happening. Tax cuts and superannuation changes seem to be the favoured outcomes.
Here is a summary of interesting things up until the end of last week:
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General Budget Issues.

Malcolm Turnbull recalls Parliament for April 18 sitting ahead of early election

Date March 21, 2016 - 1:17PM

Matthew Knott

Communications and Education Correspondent

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced he will bring the budget forward a week, setting the scene for a rare double dissolution election on July 2 unless the Senate passes laws to reintroduce the construction industry watchdog.
In a snap press conference at Parliament House on Monday, Mr Turnbull said he had received permission from Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove to recall both houses of Parliament on April 18. The government will try to pass a bill restoring the Australian Building and Construction Commission and a separate bill, already rejected twice by the Senate, toughening standards for union governance.
If the government's bills are not passed, Mr Turnbull will call a double dissolution election - the first since 1987.
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Malcolm Turnbull hits reboot after political operating system starts crashing

The prime minister’s threat to go to a double dissolution over the ABCC bill is intended to make him look decisive, but his policies remain a mystery
Lenore Taylor, Political editor
His popularity sliding, his colleagues sniping and his tax plans in confusion, the prime minister has effectively pressed control-alt-delete. On the entire parliament.
The reboot is intended to make him look decisive and put the policy debate back under some semblance of government control.
It’s pure Francis Underwood. “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.” In fact the House of Cards Twitter account approved of the strategy soon after it was announced on Monday.
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Why banks may start dropping money from the sky

Date March 21, 2016 - 9:00PM

Peter Hartcher

Sydney Morning Herald political and international editor

Interest rate policy and the price of iron ore are two of five key factors, which can determine the rise and fall of the Australian dollar.
Ken Courtis went to the bank on Saturday. He wanted to withdraw some cash. Nothing unusual so far.  
But this was Japan, and Japan is a pioneer in passing through the looking glass into the weird world of negative interest rates. So instead of paying Courtis interest on his money, his bank did the opposite. It extracted interest from him. When he took 50,000 yen – about $600 – the bank charged him 1 per cent interest. It also took a further quarter of a per cent as a processing fee.
"I refused to pay both," relates Courtis. It wasn't that he didn't understand the concept of negative interest rates. It was simply that the economist, former Goldman Sachs dealmaker and long-time Tokyo resident didn't want to pay.
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Malcolm Turnbull says there will be ‘important changes to tax’

March 22, 20168:40am
authorBlockSingleMALCOLM Turnbull has confirmed there will be “important changes to tax” as he continues to fight the tag of being a do-nothing prime minister.
In an interview with ABC this morning, Mr Turnbull was pressed on tax policy and whether there was still anything left to introduce, as changes to GST and negative gearing seem to have been ruled out.
“There will be important changes in terms of tax but you will have to wait until May 3 for the Budget,” Mr Turnbull hinted.
He also pointed to announcements later this month when asked when voters would be told about his policies on schools, health, university and other areas.
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What's the deal with negative interest rates?

Date March 23, 2016 - 12:15AM

Jessica Irvine

Senior Writer

Negative interest rates could be good news for your mortgage, but bad news for your job, writes Jessica Irvine.
Volatility in world financial markets may not affect the Australian economy according to Reserve Bank head Glenn Stevens. Courtesy ABC News24.
Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder in the fast-moving world of global finance.
First, it was zero per cent interest rates. Then, it was so-called "quantitative easing", or central banks printing money.
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  • Mar 22 2016 at 6:00 PM
  • Updated Mar 22 2016 at 6:00 PM

SMSF sector growing but watching budget with interest

by Brendan Swift
Australia's self-managed super fund sector continues to break records even as trustees brace themselves for potential wide-ranging legislative changes in the next budget.
The SMSF sector surged 2.7 per cent in the December quarter to a record $594.6 billion across 566,735 funds, according to Australian Taxation Office data.
SMSFs account for almost one-third of the approximate $2 trillion retirement system and, while typically catering to older and wealthier Australians, the sector is also now attracting an increasing number of younger investors.
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Glenn Stevens: RBA has room to respond to shocks

  • The Australian
  • March 22, 2016 5:19PM
Australia has ample firepower to deal with any coming shock to the economy by lowering interest rates or loosening fiscal policy, the country’s central bank said Tuesday.
“Even with interest rates at already low levels, and public debt higher than it was, there would, in the event of a serious economic downturn, be more room to ease both monetary and fiscal policy than in many, indeed most, other countries,” Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens said in speech notes prepared for a Sydney conference.
The remarks come as Treasurer Scott Morrison prepares to deliver his first budget on May 3 against a backdrop of growing uncertainty globally, downgrades to growth forecasts, and significant volatility in global equities markets and commodity prices.
Rating agencies have said that Australia may lose its coveted AAA-sovereign rating if the government does not spell out a path back to budget surpluses.
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Election 2016: devastating poll shows just three per cent of voters support likely budget centrepiece

Date March 25, 2016 - 1:18AM

Michael Koziol

Treasurer Scott Morrison indicates that individual tax cuts - which he has previously flagged - will not be possible until the budget is in better shape.
Just 3 per cent of voters think a company tax cut should be the government's top economic priority, according to a devastating poll that will put further pressure on the Coalition's pre-budget planning.
Treasurer Scott Morrison has indicated company tax cuts are on the agenda for the May 3 budget - rather than income tax relief - arguing the best way to drive economic growth was by reducing the tax paid by employers.
But the public is far less keen on that prospect, much preferring budget repair, education spending or personal income tax cuts to take top billing on the government's economic agenda.
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Health Budget Issues.

Review focus ‘should be on medico decision-making, not subsidies’

  • The Australian
  • March 21, 2016 12:00AM

Sean Parnell

New rules to dictate when doctors should refer patients for expensive tests and scans may be a year away but experts say they will be crucial to managing the health budget and promoting evidence-based care.
The federal government’s review of 5700 items on the Medicare Benefits Schedule is gaining momentum, with another 25 committees and working groups — involving more than 500 clinicians — to be engaged this year.
The review arose from the failed GP co-payment and comes as health groups warn that cost-cutting will lead patients to avoid medical attention rather than seek the most appropriate care.
Of the first six MBS committees at work, recommendations are expected within months in the specialties of ear, nose and throat surgery, obstetrics, thoracic medicine and gastroenterology.
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  • Mar 21 2016 at 5:07 PM

New bed approvals to drive development in aged care sector

The federal government's latest round of aged care allocations will fund thousands of new bed places with close to $1 billion annually, driving a wave of development across the sector.
Close to 11,000 new residential places have been approved. Health Minister Sussan Ley has also approved more than 6000 home-care places, taking the total to more than 17,000 places.
Recurrent funding for those places will exceed $910 million annually. Another $67 million will be given to operators in direct capital grants to upgrade facilities or improve services.
Major publicly listed operators such as Regis Healthcare and Japara Healthcare were big winners from the latest round of allocations.
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Don't kill bulk bill

By Grace Cobb
March 21, 2016, 2:30 a.m.
CONCERNS have been raised in Goondiwindi over possible cuts to bulk billing of pathology tests after July 1. 
A national petition has been organised by Pathology Australia and can be found online at change.org.
The petition currently has 220,308 signatures. 
You can search dont kill bulk bill on Facebook, or collect a  brochure from pathology or the medical centre in Goondiwindi and they will return your brochure to ensure your signature is counted. 
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RHH faces funds crisis, says Federal Labor MHR for Franklin Julie Collins

MATT SMITH State Political Editor Mercury
SOUTHERN Tasmanian health services, including the Royal Hobart Hospital, will take a $600 million hit in the next eight years, new analysis shows.
Parliamentary budget office calculations show southern Tasmania will take the lion’s share of the impact from Federal budget cuts.
Cuts to health and education will be key issues for Tasmania in the lead up to a federal election this year.
The figures, being highlighted by Franklin MP Julie Collins, show $640 million of future funding for health will be cut out of southern ­Tasmania.
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'Quite disgraceful': NHMRC doles out $3.3m to study windfarm effects on health

Date March 22, 2016 - 11:24AM

Peter Hannam

Environment Editor, The Sydney Morning Herald

Australia's top medical research body has given two researchers $3.3 million to study the effects of wind farms on human health despite its own year-long study finding no "consistent evidence" that a problem exists.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) awarded Guy Marks, a professor at the University of NSW $1.94m, to study the health impacts of infrasound - sound waves typically inaudible to humans - generated by wind turbines.
Peter Catcheside, an associate professor at Flinders University, secured $1.36m to investigate whether wind farms disturb sleep compared with traffic noise.
"Existing research in this area is of poor quality and targeted funding is warranted to support high quality, independent research on this issue," Anne Kelso, NHMRC's chief executive, said in a statement.
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Hospitals don’t need increased funding, they need to make better use of what they’ve got

March 22, 2016
The Australian hospital sector is facing growing pressure, not least around funding. The states are struggling to come up with the funds to fill the gap left by the Commonwealth’s 2014 budget announcement that it will reduce the levels of federal hospital funding from next year.
Australia’s health system is a network of service providers, rather than a single, coherent system. The rules around funding and access – even within a single hospital – are often different, making it difficult for patients to navigate their health-care journey.
Another feature of a system with multiple interfaces between services is queues. Australian patients do an awful lot of waiting. It’s not just inconvenient to the patient, it can result in increased cost of care and reduced health outcomes.
Proposed solutions usually focus on the need for more resources, be it money, beds or staff. But fixing the hospital system is not just a matter of more and more funds. We don’t necessarily need to increase funding to the public hospital system, we need to make better use of what we’ve got. Hospitals need to work smarter, not harder.
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Federal election 2016: PM and Scott Morrison split on $1bn health deal

  • Business Spectator
  • March 23, 2016 12:00AM

David Crowe

Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison are struggling to decide a $1 billion health deal that will be central to a July 2 election ­campaign in another sign of their personal tensions, as Labor exploits the divisions to warn of ­“dysfunction” at the top of the ­government.
The Prime Minister and Treasurer are at odds over spending plans that will put hospital funding at the heart of the campaign, amid fears of incendiary attacks from the states over emergency ward cuts that could put lives at risk.
State officials were told last ­Friday that Mr Turnbull was “fighting” for a better funding deal on hospitals and early childhood education but key ministers were opposing the aid ahead of a federal budget that will set out long-term savings to help pay for tax relief.
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Victorian health failing on patient safety

March 23, 20165:48pm
By Angus Livingston AAP
Victorian health failing on patient safety
Victoria's health system has failed on patient safety - and the auditor-general says the department doesn't even know where it is failing.
Acting Auditor-General Peter Frost also found the Department of Health and Human Services failed to comply with its own patient safety framework.
"DHHS is not giving sufficient priority to patient safety," Dr Frost said on Wednesday.
His audit found systemic failures in the department, including a lack of effective leadership and oversight that posed an unacceptably high risk to patient safety.
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Call to prioritise and better fund stem cell research

  • The Australian
  • March 23, 2016 12:00AM

John Ross

Stop-start funding is sabotaging Australia’s chances of leading a field poised to transform medicine, the Australian Academy of Science has warned.
A think tank convened by the academy says stem cell science needs to be declared a ­national research priority to help realise its promise. “That support cannot be provided by the current mechanisms of small individual grants,” said Richard Harvey, who helped lead the forum last year.
“Every country with a laboratory is engaged in stem cell research, from Iran to India, China, Russia and Korea. We have a competitive situation where we need to think strategically how we’re going to support this area of science over the next five to 10 years.”
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Labor to start health attack in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's electorate

Date March 26, 2016 - 12:01AM

Jane Lee

Legal affairs, health and science reporter

Labor is launching its pre-election attack on the Coalition's health record in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's electorate, where a health clinic for homeless people is set to close.
Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek will use a press conference at the Haymarket Foundation Clinic in Darlinghurst to highlight what Labor says is the Abbott government's $60 billion cuts to health over the next decade in 2014, and the Turnbull government's planned cuts to bulk-billing incentives for pathology and diagnostic imaging services.
Health Minister Sussan Ley has defended the government's move to save $650 million over four years by cutting the incentives, saying they had not worked to significantly boost the rate of bulk-billing.
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Health Insurance Issues.

Medibank Private wants to hit 26-year-olds with penalties if they don’t take out private health insurance

March 19, 2016 10:00pm
John Rolfe Cost of Living Editor News Corp Australia Network
Medibank private wants to give younger Australians compelling hip-pocket reasons for signing up to private health insurance.
THE largest and most profitable health insurer wants to hit people as young as 26 with a decade-long penalty for not taking out private cover.
But fund members want the opposite — a chance for anyone who doesn’t hold a policy to be able to join the system without paying Lifetime Health Cover loading, which adds as much as 70 per cent to premiums.
Nearly two-thirds of 45,000 policyholders surveyed as part of the Big Health Insurance Switch say they support a Lifetime Health Cover loading amnesty. Less than seven per cent are against a moratorium. The rest are unsure.
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The average health cover rise is 7.1 per cent, not the 5.59 per cent the government announced

March 21, 20167:27am
John Rolfe News Corp Australia Network
EXCLUSIVE
THE cost of health cover will actually rise by an average of more than seven per cent — well beyond what policyholders have been led to believe.
It means increases will exceed $200 on a typical family policy — even more for those having children. The elderly will also bear extra pain.
Analysis by News Corp Australia reveals the average industry-wide rise for singles earning less than $90,000 and couples on under $180,000 will be by 7.1 per cent, not the 5.59 per cent Health Minister Sussan Ley announced earlier this month.
This is because the government rebate that applies up to these income levels will fall from 27.82 per cent now to 26.791 per cent from April 1.
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iSelect hits back at AMA over health insurance report

Date March 21, 2016 - 4:39PM

Tim Binsted

Reporter

Comparison website iSelect has hit back at the Australian Medical Association for its attack on comparators in its inaugural health insurance report, saying the real pressure on consumers comes from the soaring cost of healthcare.
In its report last week the AMA, which lobbies on behalf of doctors, singled out for-profit health insurance comparators like iSelect as a serious concern. The AMA questioned both the independence of policy recommendations on such websites and the influence of commissions from the health funds.
iSelect chief executive Scott Wilson said that contrary to the AMA's assertions, commissions do not influence policy recommendations and do not increase the overall cost of health insurance.
"Our sale prices are not influenced by our commissions. The individual [iSelect sales] adviser does not know what the commissions are from individual funds," he said.
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Medibank and NIB spruiking some of the worst 'junk' private health insurance policies

Date March 22, 2016 - 11:05AM

Esther Han

Consumer Affairs Editor

Medibank and NIB offer some of the worst of the "junk" health insurance policies on the market, providing little more than what is already offered under the universal healthcare scheme Medicare, say consumer advocates.
As the federal government reviews the $19 billion private health insurance sector, leading consumer group Choice has rated Medibank's 'Young Hospital' and 'Accident Only' covers as "effectively useless" and likely to leave customers in the lurch.
"Our analysis shows that in many cases, junk policies cover less than one per cent of the services available in hospital, and exclude treatment for the most common serious illnesses such as cancer, stroke and heart disease," said Choice's Tom Godfrey.
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Health is also clearly still under review as far as its budget is concerned with still a few reviews underway and some changes in key strategic directions. Lots to keep up with here with all the various pre-budget kites still being flown - although narrowing it seems to be largely focussed on Super! Enjoy.
David.

It Seems That Victoria Has Had An Exciting Time Over The Last Few Years With Government IT.

This appeared last week:
Benjamin Preiss state political reporter
Published: March 21, 2016 - 3:29PM
Bungled IT systems that were scrapped before launching, or introduced with major flaws, have cost taxpayers almost $900 million.
The splurge by government departments on faulty projects comes despite repeated warnings in recent years about substandard commissioning processes.
Earlier this month Victoria's financial watchdog issued another scathing report on six information communications technology (ICT) projects in the public sector.
Acting Auditor-General Peter Frost said weaknesses in planning and implementation meant projects were often cancelled before completion while still "incurring significant costs".
Now the Andrews government says it is introducing changes to improve management of ICT systems.
A spokesman said the government had "bolstered the rules" for commissioning ICT systems, and will increase the use of independent experts to monitor projects.
The list of costly projects includes the bungled $240 million Ultranet system for schools that was supposed to be used extensively by parents, teachers and students.
The government pulled the plug on the project in 2014 after only a handful of schools adopted it and it has sincebeen the recent focus of an Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission inquiry.
A doomed $62 million ICT system commissioned by the Department of Justice is among the latest projects that failed to launch.
The Age can also reveal the former Department of Primary Industries spent about $25 million on an online project known as the Resource Rights Allocation and Management system.
It was used for just two years before another $3 million was spent to make it compatible with cloud technology.
RMIT computer science expert Andy Song said government IT projects were vulnerable to a range of problems, including mid-project leadership changes.
"A change of management can bring a disastrous result," he said.
Dr Song said IT projects were expensive but could fast become obsolete as new technology takes over.
The HealthSMART system was another expensive project that was supposed to link hospital computer networks and data but was widely criticised for its limited application.
Some estimates have placed its price at $360 million or higher but the Health Department insisted its total capital cost was $329.4 million.
The department did not confirm how many hospitals or health services were now using the system.
More here:
The summary still makes some grim reading.

Digital Dashboard: Status Review of ICT Projects and Initiatives – Phase 2

Tabled: 9 March 2016
This audit is Phase 2 of the 2015 Digital Dashboard: Status Review of ICT Projects and Initiatives. It examined six information and communications technology (ICT) projects to determine if they were appropriately planned, managed and implemented in terms of time, cost, benefits realisation and governance.
The audit confirms that ICT projects continue to show poor planning and implementation with cost and scheduling overruns. While one of the six projects examined finished on schedule, none was or will be completed as initially budgeted. One project was terminated prior to system delivery, six years after its planned completion date and over twice its intended budget. Most of the projects examined faced significant challenges at various points during implementation.
Despite this, the audit saw some elements of better practice at the University of Melbourne and Yarra Valley Water which contributed to project completion.
Clearly defined governance arrangements do not necessarily guarantee a successful ICT project. Agencies should work on developing a robust culture of active governance at the senior management level to make informed decisions and to effectively engage with consultants and vendors.
The audit restates better practice elements from VAGO’s 2008 guide, Investing Smarter in Public Sector ICT, to assist agencies in delivering successful ICT projects.
Here is the link:
While it seems to be the same all over it really seems to be a worry that we keep having these project overruns and failures!
David.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Privacy Commissioner Releases A Large Collection Of New Documents On My Health Record.

I noticed these a day or so ago.
They are termed Privacy Fact Sheets and for some reason they are not numbered in a form that seems to make sense but you can use a single link to see them all - or use the list below.

Privacy fact sheets

This section holds fact sheets that give a general overview of a topic or subject area for individuals.
More detailed specific resources for agencies and organisations can be found in Agency resources, Business resources and Guides.
Information about how the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner applies the Privacy Act 1988 can be found in the Privacy law section of this website.
Here is the link:
The important links from the mHR perspective are as follows.
Here is a link that takes you to the relevant sheets directly:
The sheet 15 is very interesting:

Privacy fact sheet 15: Ten tips for protecting the personal information in your My Health Record

March 2016
If you have a My Health Record or are considering whether to get one, this fact sheet explains what to consider over the lifetime of your record.

What is a My Health Record?

A My Health Record is an online summary of your health information, such as medicines you are taking, any allergies you may have and treatments you have received. It was previously known as a Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR) or eHealth record.
Your My Health Record allows your doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers (such as physiotherapists) to view your health information, in accordance with your access controls. You are also able to access it online yourself.
In most parts of Australia you need to actively register for a My Health Record. However, people whose registered Medicare address is in Northern Queensland or the Nepean Blue Mountains will have a My Health Record automatically created for them by the Australian Government. If you are registered as living in either of these areas and don’t want a My Health Record, you will need to opt-out by 27 May 2016.
You can use the postcode checker on the My Health Record website to see if your registered Medicare address is in one of these areas. If it is, you should also receive a letter and brochure from the Australian Government with further information.
This fact sheet is for everyone who already has or will soon have a My Health Record and anyone else who is thinking of registering for one. This includes people whose registered Medicare address is in Northern Queensland and the Nepean Blue Mountains region.

1. Read the System Operator’s privacy statement carefully before you opt in

Make sure you understand how the information in your My Health Record can be collected, used and disclosed.
The System Operator is responsible for the operation of the My Health Record system.  You can read the privacy statement, which applies to personal information collected by the System Operator for the My Health Record system, online.
If you have any questions about this, call the System Operator on 1800 723 471.

2. Be aware of the different access settings available to you

Consider setting your access controls as soon as you register for a My Health Record or have one created for you. It’s a good idea to review them regularly, especially if your circumstances change or you begin treatment with a new healthcare provider. Check your ‘access list’ regularly to see who can access your My Health Record. If the default settings are set, you should know what they are and what they could mean for you. Think about whether you want to restrict which healthcare providers can access your record and what information is included.

3. Consider setting advanced access controls and a 'personal access code'

Advanced access controls allow you to restrict which healthcare providers can access your My Health Record. You can also restrict access to particular documents. If you set up a ‘personal access code’, healthcare providers will only be able to check if you have a My Health Record and access it if you give them your code. Personal access controls may be overridden in an emergency, if it is unreasonable or impracticable to obtain your consent.

4. Read the privacy notices and policies of your healthcare providers

Different healthcare providers will have different information management practices. For example, you can restrict which healthcare providers can see your My Health Record but you cannot restrict access by individual staff members. Find out which areas of the healthcare provider will have access to your My Health Record.

5. Talk to your healthcare providers regularly about what information they will be adding to and accessing from your My Health Record. Ask how they will involve you in this process

If you don’t want a certain document added to your My Health Record, make sure you tell your healthcare provider. If they have added a document that you don’t want on your record, ask them to remove it. If they refuse, you can remove it yourself by logging in to your record. You can later ask for it to be restored if you choose.
Documents that have been removed will still be accessible to the healthcare provider that uploaded them through their local IT system. This is because they created the documents and can access them on their own local IT system rather than specifically through your online My Health Record. They may also be retrieved for authorised purposes, such as by order of a court. However, once removed from your My Health Record, they won’t be accessible in an emergency so you should consider whether there is any information that could be needed in such a situation. It’s a good idea to discuss these issues with your healthcare provider.

6. Check your My Health Record access history regularly

Check for any unexpected or unauthorised access. The access history function identifies healthcare provider organisations that have accessed your My Health Record. However, if you want to find out the name of an individual who has accessed your record, you can request this by calling the System Operator on 1800 723 471. The system access history will only include access to your My Health Record. It will not include information about who has accessed information that has been downloaded into a healthcare provider’s local systems.

7. Check your My Health Record regularly to ensure that the documents it contains are kept accurate, up-to-date and complete

If any information is inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete, ask the healthcare provider that uploaded the information to correct or complete it. If they disagree, you can ask them to attach a statement to the document stating what you consider to be inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete. If you don’t feel comfortable approaching the healthcare provider directly, you can call the System Operator on 1800 723 471. If it is a private sector healthcare provider organisation that is unwilling to correct or complete your record, you can also make a complaint to the OAIC. Old versions of documents will still be retained by the system. If there are any important documents that you think should be included on your My Health Record, talk to your healthcare provider.

8. Secure your My Health Record

Make sure you set a strong password and don’t share it with anyone else. If you are accessing your My Health Record via the online consumer portal, ensure that the device and connection you use to access your  record is secure. For example, you should install reputable anti-spyware, anti-virus scanners and firewall software and avoid unsecured wi-fi networks. General advice to help you keep your information safe online is available at staysmartonline.gov.au.

9. Exercise your privacy rights

The My Health Record system is protected by the My Health Records Act 2012 (My Health Records Act). The protections in the My Health Records Act are in addition to those under existing privacy legislation. Once information is downloaded into a healthcare provider’s local records, existing privacy legislation will apply. There are civil and criminal penalties for individuals and healthcare provider organisations who don’t comply with the My Health Records Act. If you suspect that the information in your My Health Record may have been mishandled, you can complain to the entity involved or call the System Operator on 1800 723 471. If you’re not happy with their response, you can complain to the OAIC.

10. Remember you can choose to cancel at any time

If you decide to cancel your My Health Record, call the System Operator on 1800 723 471 and ask to have your record deactivated. It can be reactivated again later if you choose.
If you cancel your My Health Record, no one will be able to see it (including yourself) and no further information can be added onto it.
Information in the cancelled record will be stored by the System Operator until 30 years after your death, or 130 years after your date of birth (if the date of death is unknown_.

More information

For more information on the OAIC’s role in the My Health Record system, please see the OAIC’s Privacy fact sheet 18: The OAIC and the My Health Record system
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What strikes me about this is just how complex the information provided is and how unlikely the vast number of people would be to take all this information on board and act on it, sound though the information seems to be.
Given a million people are going to get one of these records in the next few months - one really wonders just how well informed the ‘man on the Bondi Tram’ will actually be about what is happening and what risks there are to their privacy - and potentially to their career, employment among other things.
I really don’t think Australians have been properly alerted to the risks inherent in this giant government system having so much of your health information.
I look forward to comments on all these sheets.
David.