From Moose Draws to Health Workforce Planning: The Uses of the Provincial Health Insurance Number in New Brunswick

Abstract

Poised to receive vital administrative personal health information to serve its role as New Brunswick’s seminal research data centre, DataNB (previously NB-IRDT) inadvertently drew attention to a well-established but unsanctioned use of the New Brunswick public health insurance (Medicare) number. DataNB’s 2014 request to access the NB Medicare number for research purposes also highlighted its use as a unique identifier for the provincial Moose Draw for hunting licenses, disclosure not granted in legislation. With newfound scrutiny being exercised on the appropriate disclosure and use of personal health information, DataNB’s need to access the Medicare number for linking personal administrative data was halted by provincial authorities. In response, provincial government officers and DataNB staff collaborated to develop and introduce legislative mechanisms that would create an authorized Medicare number use for data matching to support research on a wide range of subjects including the recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals in NB.