NEARLY ONE MILLION AUSTRALIANS OPT OUT OF MY HEALTH

Nearly one million Australians have opted out of the My Health Record following the Government’s botched rollout - proving public trust in this important reform has been severely damaged.

 

Under Labor questioning in a Senate Committee, the Australian Digital Health Agency has finally admitted that 900,000 people have now opted out. This is the first update provided since 20,000 people opted out on day one.

 

With two months to go in the opt-out period, that number is likely to rise to well over one million people.

 

It’s clear now just how badly the Government’s rollout has undermined public support for a system that could deliver enormous benefits.

 

The Government must now heed Labor’s call to suspend the opt-out rollout until all remaining security and privacy concerns are addressed and public confidence in this important reform is restored.

 

Labor supports a national digital health record - which is why we created one when we were last in Government.

 

But the Government’s failure to explain its shift from an opt-in model to an opt-out model has fuelled suspicion and scepticism.

 

The ADHA also said while public awareness of the program is high, nearly half (41 per cent) still don’t know a record will be created for them at the end of the opt-out period.

 

This shows the Government still has considerable work to do to educate and inform the public. It should begin by delivering on its promise to launch a new comprehensive information campaign.

 

The Labor-initiated My Health Record inquiry, which Health Minister Greg Hunt described as a “stunt”, has also uncovered a range of other concerns that the Government must address.