Submission
AMA Submission to Senate Inquiry: Circumstances in which Australian's personal Medicare information has been compromised and made available for sale illegally on the 'dark web'
The AMA has provided a submission in response to the Senate Inquiry being conducted by the Finance and Public Administration Committee regarding the circumstances in which Australians' personal Medicare information has been compromised and made available for sale illegally on the 'dark web'.
This follows a previous AMA Submission to the Independent Review of Health Providers' Access to Medicare Card Numbers, which is available at https://ama.com.au/submission/ama-submission-independent-review-health-providers-access-medicare-card-numbers
The Inquiry was set up following reports that the Health Professional Online Services portal had been used to obtain access to Medicare numbers, which were then sold on the Dark Web.
The AMA has emphasised the importance of ensuring that Medicare numbers cannot be accessed inappropriately. However, the AMA has also said that any recommendations need to be appropriate to the risks, given this was an isolated incident. Any proposals for change must not increase the administrative burden on practitioners or practices or introduce unnecessary administrative barriers to care, particularly for disadvantaged patients.