Black Press
With one million of its new high-tech drivers’ licences in use, the B.C. government is preparing to use them for access to medical records, applying for student loans and a range of other uses.
The new driver’s licence was introduced a year ago, with a digital chip that replaces the existing medical CareCard system. The health ministry estimated that there were more than nine million CareCards in circulation, about twice as many as there are residents of B.C.
With digital security similar to bank cards, Andrew Wilkinson, minister of technology, innovation and citizens’ services, said the public appears prepared to use them to apply for prescription renewals, birth, death and marriage certificates, voter registration and criminal records checks.
The cards are issued to replace the current driver’s licences, for the same $75 fee. For people who don’t drive, a similar card with only medical identity is available at no charge.