People can now add a digital version of their Medicare card to the myGov app for secure and convenient access on the go.
Minister for Government Services and the NDIS the Hon. Bill Shorten MP said with more than a million people now using the app, adding Medicare cards is the next step forward in giving people more choice in how they use government services.
“Many people use their Medicare card regularly, so adding it to their wallet in the myGov app is a safe and convenient way to keep their personal documents together in one place,” Minister Shorten said.
“As with all items in the myGov wallet, the Medicare card has protections against fraud and theft, including a hologram and QR code,” Minister Shorten said.
“The animated hologram shows that the card is not just a screenshot and the QR code can be scanned by health professionals to confirm the card is genuine and valid.”
Minister for Health the Hon. Mark Butler MP said this is another way for Australians to unlock the benefits of their Medicare card.
“Medicare is already the number one service linked to myGov, with over 19 million accounts,” Minister Butler said.
“For too long the former Government didn’t prioritise the benefits of digital health.
“Labor is the party of Medicare and we will always strengthen it.”
Minister Shorten said the Medicare card joins the existing Centrelink concession cards and International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate that have been available in the app since December.
He said it paves the way for more credentials to be added to the myGov app in future.
“This is just the beginning. I’ve already announced that later this year, people will have the option of adding their NSW driver licence to their myGov app,” Minister Shorten said.
“We’re also working to make the Medicare card available for those who prefer to use the Service NSW app to store their digital credentials.
“At the end of the day, it’s about simplifying government for people and giving them more choice in how they connect with the services they need.”
Minister Shorten said that while he hoped people would embrace the new technology, it is still a choice.
“We’re encouraging all health professionals to accept the new digital Medicare cards, but we understand this may not happen straight away,” Minister Shorten said.
“People will be able to use their physical Medicare card as well as their digital card and while this is a new option, it’s okay if people would prefer to continue only using their physical Medicare card.”
To add your Medicare card, you’ll need to have Medicare linked to your myGov account. Once linked, open the myGov app and go to Wallet on your home screen. Select Add to wallet and follow the steps. Once the Medicare card is added, it can also be saved to the app home screen for quick access.
For those people who don’t have auto-updates they will need to go to their app store and update their version of the myGov app.
For more information on the myGov app, including links to download from the app stores, go to my.gov.au/app
For a video explainer on using the Medicare card on the myGov app, follow the link https://app.cimediacloud.com/r/wvmJkuYuQ8Ja