Share by Default - My Health Record 011-24112711

A bill amending the My Health Records Act 2012 has been passed by the Australian Parliament. The bill makes it mandatory for certain healthcare providers to share key health information with My Health Record by default, starting with pathology and diagnostic imaging reports. Legislation amended by this bill includes:

• My Health Record Act 2012
• Health Insurance Act

The References page contains links to the legislation.

The Share by Default mandate will be expanded to include other document types over time. These changes follow recommendations from the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce.

The following terms may also be used to describe these changes:

• Share by default
• Sharing by default
• Mandatory uploads
• Better access to pathology and diagnostic imaging reports
• Improved access to pathology and diagnostic imaging reports
• Modernising My Health Record
• Faster and Better Access

From 1 July 2026, it is mandatory for healthcare providers to upload pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record, with some exceptions.

In some situations, a pathology or diagnostic imaging report may not be uploaded to My Health Record.

Circumstances where a report might not be uploaded include where:

• the individual does not have a My Health Record or they have hidden their record from healthcare provider systems (using Advanced Settings)
• an individual or their representative requests that certain reports are not uploaded
• the pathology or diagnostic imaging provider has applied for an extension of time to comply with the upload requirements
• the individual's details on the pathology or diagnostic imaging request do not match their details in My Health Record
• the report is written by a specialist who is not a pathologist or radiologist, for example, a cardiologist, gynaecologist or gastroenterologist
• a healthcare provider has reasonable concerns for the health, safety or wellbeing of the individual
• a technical or system issue prevents upload
• the type of report is not required to be uploaded, for example, workplace drug and alcohol testing, court-ordered testing, or testing for law enforcement purposes
• the report is subject to certain state and territory legislation that prevents uploads in some circumstances

Where a report is not uploaded, the healthcare provider must keep a record of the reason for not uploading. This record must be kept for at least 2 years.

Healthcare providers can apply for an extension of time to comply with the mandate. If an organisation has applied for an extension and cannot upload to My Health Record, they must display a prominent notice for patients:

• on their website
• on any booking service that they provide, and
• in their premises

The notice must advise patients that they are not uploading to My Health Record.

When the report is ready, it is sent to the healthcare provider that requested the test. Unless an exception applies, the pathology or diagnostic imaging provider will generally upload the report to My Health Record within 24 hours of sharing it with the requesting provider.

If the type of test the individual had requires input from a specialised pathology laboratory or radiology provider, it may take days, or even weeks for the report to be finalised.

More details about Share by Default for consumers, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, is available on the Better and Faster Access to your health information page on the Digital Health website.

These legislation changes do not change the existing privacy and access controls in My Health Record.

Individuals can:

• set privacy and access controls to manage who has access to their pathology and diagnostic imaging reports once they are uploaded to My Health Record, or
• ask a healthcare provider not to upload a report to their My Health Record

Legislation amended by this bill includes:

• My Health Record Act 2012
• Health Insurance Act 1973

The References page contains links to the legislation.