Final days for opt out decision

Thursday 15 November marks the end of the My Health Record opt out period, but it’s not the end of consumer choice relating to their involvement in the nationally expanded system. Every Australian with a Medicare card or Department of Veterans’ Affairs card will receive a My Health Record by the end of 2018 unless they have opted out through the My Health Record website or the helpline by 15 November. “Over six million Australians have registered for a My Health Record since its inception in 2012. This number grew during the opt out period as some people saw the benefits of joining and didn’t want to wait for the automatic creation of records at the end of the year,” said Dianne Kitcher, CEO of COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN. “Those who have opted out in this four month period since July can still register for a record in the future at any time. Conversely any person who receives one and decides to cancel the record later has the flexibility to do so.” “Others who opt out now but then learn of the security features which create better protection than they expected, including the ability to set a Record Access Code or a Limited Document Access Code, ability to set up email or SMS notifications and monitor the access logs, can register whenever they choose in the future,” explained Ms. Kitcher. The Opt out period for My Health Record was originally 16 July – 15 October 2018. On 10 August 2018 Health Minister announced that the opt out period would be extended by an extra month to 15 November. This is to ensure all Australians have an opportunity to make an informed decision as the government strengthens the 2012 My Health Record legislation. https://www.myhealthrecord.gov.au/for-you-your-family/opt-out-my-health-record

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