1. A method for monitoring a physiological condition of a user with an apparatus in a computer network, comprising the steps of: (A) storing authorization information in a nonvolatile condition within said apparatus, said authorization information being suitable for identifying at least one of (i) one or more authorized patients among a plurality of medical patients of a health monitoring service and (ii) one or more authorized types among a plurality of patient types of said health monitoring service; (B) sensing biometric data from said user of said apparatus; and (C) identifying said user as a particular patient from at least one of (i) said authorized patients and (ii) said authorized types in response to matching said biometric data to said authorization information.