Don’t be dismayed by the incorrect depiction of the Rod of Asclepius on yet another medical logo. Putting the wings aside, the technology is certainly interesting. LifeNexus, Inc. from Broomfield, Colorado, has announced today a launch of an electronic health card that combines an individual’s health record and a payment card option. The company has worked for years with MasterCard, Visa, VeriFone, Emdeon, and others, to deliver this technology to the market. According to the company’s statement, the LifeNexus Personal Health Card is powered by a proprietary iChip technology (Individually Controlled Health Information Platform™), that utilizes "mobile server" technology “embedded on a chip card which is both encrypted and password-protected, providing a highly secure environment to store comprehensive and potentially lifesaving health information for individuals and their family members.” Before a patient or provider can use the card, the LifeNexus requires a download of desktop software.
More details on such things as Health Savings Accounts and other financial implications, as released by the company:
An individual’s personal health record is stored on the card’s embedded microcomputer, the iChip, which is encrypted and password-protected, providing a highly secure environment that the individual owns and controls. There is also a digital credential on the card, which assures the protection of identity and privacy as well as helps to reduce fraud.
The consumer ensures privacy between themselves and their healthcare provider through consumer-authorized access. An individual’s information stays in their wallet, not a web-based server. Not only does this eliminate consumer concerns about transferring and storing sensitive data on a third party web-based server, it also supports the adoption of electronic medical records by their physician, which requires both a third-party credential and a digital personal health record.
The card complies with both the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule and the security and privacy mandates under the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The multi-functionality of the LifeNexus Personal Health Payment Card™ provides an additional and exceptional benefit. If individuals choose to have the Personal Health Card on a payment card, they can make purchases, providing a convenient way to manage their health-related information and make general day-to-day purchases on the same card.
The LifeNexus Personal Health Payment Card can be offered by financial institutions with either prepaid, debit or credit functionality. Individuals can use their card to make general payments the same way they use their existing MasterCard or Visa cards today. It can also be used to allow access to Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Reimbursement Arrangements. The microcomputer on the front of the card and the magnetic payment function on the back ensure that health and financial information remain separate and secure.
Product page: LifeNexus Personal Health Card…
Press release: LifeNexus Launches Electronic Personal Health Card with Payment Card Functionality …
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