ID chips migrate from pets to people

In October 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved VeriChip microchips for medical use in humans. The target: people with tough-to-treat conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. The chips record such personal information as name, blood type, medical records, and more, giving emergency-room personnel critical information about unconscious or nonresponsive patients.

In other countries, children are being chipped to speed recovery if they're abducted. And some nightclubs offer to chip regular customers so they can leave their wallets at home. The doorman scans the customer's chip, and the bar accesses the clients favorite drink and credit-card number. Implanting a microchip takes five minutes and costs $200, compared to the $50 cost to microchip a pet.