Electronic health card unlawful?

Opinion reveals failures in examining the cards

04/02/2014

The electronic health card with image introduced at the beginning of the year may be unlawful. This reports that „Hamburger Abendblatt“ with reference to an opinion of the Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV). Thus, the cards would violate applicable law, as the health insurance companies had failed to examine the photos.

Photos on the new „E-Cards“ apparently not verified
As the Hamburger Abendblatt reports, the new electronic health card may be illegal. The sheet refers to a „so far secret“ Report of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV). Accordingly, the cash registers would have the pictures on the so-called „E-Cards“ or „ECSC“ not examined, which would violate applicable law. „The health insurance funds are obliged to verify the conformity of the printed photograph, the person holding the card and the other social data stored in future on the eGK at the issuing of the eGK. This is not carried out so far, which is problematic because in the future sensitive data should be stored on the eGK ", so a quote from the report in the Hamburger Abendblatt.

Members send pictures of „Darth Vader“ on
According to the newspaper, the problem had only been recognized when the coffers of their members took photos of the „Starwars“- character „Darth Vader“ had been sent before - but even before there had been pictures of famous people like Brad Pitt or Lady Gaga, but they would not have noticed immediately. How many celebrities or fictional characters currently adorn the e-health cards, probably remains a mystery - for the KBV reason to raise serious allegations: „When creating the eGK, the details are not verified at any point. (...) Thus, the health insurance companies issued no proof of identity, which meet the legal requirements. "Accordingly, the cards are according to the Federal Association in principle invalid and must be confiscated, or be retrofitted.

Between 55 and 60 million electronic health cards in circulation
A huge problem for the health insurances, as there are now between 55 and 60 million electronic health cards in circulation. There had been some difficulties in the run-up, partly because many insured had refused to let the coffers a picture of themselves. However, since the beginning of 2014, the card is now mandatory and contains a personal photo of the insured - on the one hand to avoid confusion, on the other hand to minimize the misuse of benefits. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, this contributes to the picture „Save costs“ - which, however, no longer seems very credible in the light of KBV's allegations.

Federal Ministry sees no mistake
According to the ministry, the coffers were not to blame, reports the Hamburger Abendblatt. According to a spokesman told the newspaper that it is undisputed, „that the correct assignment of the health card data to the cardholder must be guaranteed“ - This requires, inter alia, an identification of the insured, this must „but not at the time of the photo transmission“ respectively. When exactly the examination of the correspondence of cardholder and photo happened - to this, according to the paper by the political speaker, however, gave no information.

„Stop the e-card“ is committed to abolishing the card
However, criticism of the eGK is not only since these days, instead experts warn for years against the misuse of the electronic plastic cards. Also the action „Stop the e-card“, a broad coalition of 54 civil rights organizations, privacy advocates, patient and medical associations, is involved and calls for the abolition of the card: „The NSA has shown how fast data can be decoded, "said Dr. Manfred Lotze, representative of the IPPNW organization in the Alliance - „That should also teach the last security believers a better one. Anyone who needs medical data, gets them - illegally by data theft or legally with the help of short-term legislative changes.“ (No)