The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards bringing paper and plastic identity credentials into the digital age. 

Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten has announced that a virtual version of the Medicare card can now be added to the myGov digital wallet. 

This move comes after a long and tumultuous 17-year journey, during which the Howard government's efforts to add a smartcard chip to Medicare cards were criticised by Labor. Despite its critics, myGov is becoming the modern equivalent of the Howard-era Access Card.

According to Shorten, the inclusion of the Medicare card in the myGov app is a safe and convenient way for users to keep their personal documents together in one place. 

The new digital card includes added security features, such as a hologram and a QR code, that protect against fraud and theft. These features are crucial as Medicare cards have become what police and fraud experts refer to as “breeder documents”, allowing criminals to build comprehensive stolen identity profiles.

The security features will go some way in addressing this issue, but experts say technology will soon overtake the government’s security efforts once again. 

For many, the use cases for a system of digital wallets are clear, especially when it comes to concessions, with healthcare cards, pension cards, and other instruments of entitlement in need of standardisation.

Mr Shorten says he encourages all health professionals to accept the new digital Medicare cards, although it is not clear how the digital card will work with Easyclaim. 

People will be able to use their physical Medicare card as well as their digital card, and it is okay if people prefer to continue only using their physical Medicare card. 

The addition of the Medicare card to the myGov app paves the way for more credentials to be added in the future, according to Shorten.