HCF And The ´Helping Hand´ Decision

The Privacy Commissioner recently conducted an investigation into the disclosure of personal information by a private health insurance company, HCF, to McKesson Asia Pacific, a third party involved in the health fund's Helping Hands program.

The personal information disclosed by HCF to McKesson included members' contact details, gender, age, broad type of medical illness and hospital admissions. Staff from McKesson would contact a patient, upon their release from hospital, to offer further medical care.

Allegations were made against HCF for disclosing personal information without each member's consent.

The Privacy Commissioner held that HCF did not breach the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). The Privacy Commissioner also held that McKesson had taken the appropriate steps to collect personal information in accordance with its contractual obligations to HCF.