Very much like a prisoner being tracked in a work-release program (except it's implanted on the inside of your upper arm) -- the VeriMed microchip stores your vital health information for times when you are unable to disclose it yourself. It's about the size of a grain of rice and VeriChip says the procedure is painless.

At the Diabetic Expo, held in Atlanta, Georgia -- VeriChip Corporation received the endorsement of the American Diabetes Association to test implant the microchip in 18 diabetics who signed up for the voluntary procedure. The implantable RFID microchip sends patient information to a handheld RFID scanner and a secure patient database. This system is intended to provide immediate access to important health information for patients who arrive at an emergency room unable to communicate.

The chip stores your personal health information and it can be transmitted (in theory) to a medical professional in an emergency room. However, given the fact that anyone possessing the handheld RFID scanner can access your personal health information on the secure database- I'm not so sure I'd want to leave that out there for the world of battery-operated busy bodies. I remember how violated I felt when my personal information was stolen from Ameriprise. How would you feel if your most personal information was tapped because someone left the emergency room RFID scanner unmanned? Your name would be worth a lot more than you realize!