Tech players aim to offer a secure and encrypted place for accessing important data, I.D. cards

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A new pilot project is trying to use blockchain—the technology at the heart of bitcoin—to help the homeless get the support they need. With limited personal security, homeless people often have identification cards and other important papers lost or stolen. That makes it harder for them to get medical services, substance-abuse treatment or the housing that gets them off the streets. And those who help the homeless are often unable to get them replacement papers quickly because of red tape and...

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In the continuing push for affordable health care, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is still the confused and error-filled manner in which electronic data is shared among doctors, insurers, hospitals and patients. One solution could be blockchain technology. In the current tangle of incompatible records systems that typifies U.S. health care, incorrect information can creep in when patient data gets re-entered multiple times by doctors’ offices, insurers and hospital staff. Big errors can...