a method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network is disclosed . the method generally includes the steps of storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within the apparatus , the authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of the health monitoring service , sensing biometric data from the user of the apparatus and identifying the user as a particular patient from at least one of the authorized patients and the authorized types in response to matching the biometric data to the authorization information .