Thursday 30 April 2009

Medicare online guards your secrets

The Medicare website allows you to log in and update your details, such as postal address, phone numbers and bank account number. What it does not do is display your existing information. This is "to protect your security". They also have you enter five (!) secret questions and answers in addition to your card number, individual reference number, birth date and password. While I'll grant that it does technically increase security to never even give out private information over the web, it does somewhat reduce the usefulness of the website. For instance, I couldn't remember whether my postal address had been updated yet with Medicare, but I can't check whether it has been done. I can only submit the details and hope they get it right at their end. Similarly I don't know if they have my new bank account details.

Mokalus of Borg

PS - And yet the banks themselves seem happy to transmit personal details online.
PPS - Perhaps they have more money to spend on ensuring security.

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