AOK launch of the electronic health card

AOK sends electronic health cards

08/10/2011

The Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse AOK Bayern has sent almost half a million of the new electronic health card to the insured since the beginning of the week. The new cash card gradually replaces the previous health insurance card (KVK). In the future, the health card will also serve as a digital patient record.

Since October 4, 2011, the AOK in Bavaria has already sent 440,000 electronic health cards to its insured. The fund has about 4.3 million legally insured. Thus, the AOK Bayern has achieved the prescribed by law ten percent share by the end of the year. According to the health insurance company, the measure gradually replaces old health insurance cards. „Gradually, all our insured receive the electronic health card“, explains the AOK director Peter Weber in Bamberg-Forchheim. Over 8,000 of the AOK members have already received a new health card there.

Digital patient record will be introduced in the future
The new card will prevent expensive duplicate examinations in the future and thus save costs for the healthcare system. By attaching a passport photo of the insured a clear identification should be guaranteed. The card can then no longer be used in case of loss by an unauthorized third party. Also new is the gender on the health card of the cardholder. In the next step, the patient's emergency data should be retrievable using the installed chip. This allows the attending physician to retrieve information on allergies, laboratory examinations, findings, doctor's letters, X-rays and blood groups. The data should be read in via a permanently installed server of the insurer. To prevent unauthorized access, the digital patient record is encrypted. Only with the help of a reader, the card can be read. Since many associations and patients expressed concerns about data protection, the installation should only be done with the consent of the insured person. Whoever contradicts hardly any added value through the new health card.

As the AOK announced, many dental and family practices are already equipped with the new readers. However, as not all medical practices have a necessary reader, consumer advocates and health insurance companies recommend keeping the old health insurance card within the framework of a transitional period. This advice was also given by the AOK director: „Nevertheless, we recommend that you keep the old health card for a short time in order to use it in medical practices that are not yet equipped with the appropriate reader“. Only when the funds give the green light, the old card is disposed of.

Still keeping old health insurance card
In order to receive a new cash card, a cover letter from the responsible health insurance must be awaited. The letter is then sent a passport photo to the cashier. Most health insurance companies also offer an online service. There the pictures can be delivered to the insurer by means of upload. Only when the picture reaches the cash register, a new electronic health card will be sent. As legislators have increased the pressure on statutory health insurance and threatened fines, shipping will be swiftly promoted in the coming months. (Sb)

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Picture: Pattern of the AOK