Privacy Policy Electronic Health Card?

Electronic health card: first action of an insured. Are there any data protection deficiencies with the electronic health insurance health card?

(27.08.2010) The electronic health card faces increased criticism due to data protection issues, which now culminated in the claim of an insured person at the Düsseldorf Social Court. The plaintiff is insured by Bergische Krankenkasse, a relatively small health insurer in Solling, where the health card is being tested in preparation for the nationwide introduction since October last year. While the card currently does not differ from the standard insurance cards that each member receives, in the future it will also include emergency data such as the insured's blood type, chronic conditions, etc. and can also store an electronic medical record to facilitate physicians' communication with each other , Also could be stored in the future development of the previous concept electronic prescriptions or electronic patient record on the map.

The insured person concerned is supported in his claim by the liberal medical profession, who also criticize the introduction of the electronic health card. The basic fear is that confidential medical information can be stored on the card and read out at any time. What brings advantages in the treatment may be questionable in the view of the plaintiff, especially in terms of data protection. If in the future z. For example, if the employer, by reading out the data on the card, knows very well about the health status of his employees, this does not correspond to the meaning of the electronic health card. The applicant therefore claims that he can be treated without the use of the card. In addition, his lawyer has called on the Social Court to refer the case to the Federal Constitutional Court, so that a general judgment on the lawfulness of the health card can be issued.

A decision of the Social Court of Dusseldorf is expected in the coming weeks. An appointment for the nationwide introduction of the electronic health card calls so far neither the Federal Ministry of Health nor the top association of health insurance companies. However, the German Medical Association has just conducted a survey among physicians, which concludes that the resistance among physicians against the card is great, although most physicians are aware of the fact that the development of electronic communication is unstoppable. The doctors also judge the lack of privacy as a serious problem, despite the benefits that may result for treatment. (Fp)