Facts about the new electronic health card

All facts about the new electronic health card

29/09/2011

The umbrella organization of statutory health insurance has set the starting signal for the new electronic health cards. By the end of the year, seven million insured persons will already be equipped with the new high-tech health insurance cards. Measured by the almost 70 million cash patients in Germany, around 10 percent of those insured will hold a new card by the end of the year. We have collected all the important questions and answers.

What difference exists between the old and new health insurance card?
The new electronic health card (eGk) is decorated in contrast to the old health insurance card (KK) with a current passport photo of the insured. Only children under the age of 15 do not need a picture, as the appearance of the children changes rapidly as a result of their growth. The passport photo on the health card is designed to prevent others from abusing the card for their own health care. For example, in the past private insured persons had the card of a friend „lent“, to save costs.

On the back of the logo of the European Health Insurance Card (KVK) is printed. Also on the new card the general administrative data such as insurance number and status are noted. New are the gender information. This information will be mandatory for all insured persons in the future.

Why are new cards being dealt at all??
As mentioned, the abuse of the cards should be restricted. In the first step, although only basic key data of the insured will be stored on the electronic chip, but soon much more data will be added. It is planned to include medical reports, vaccination records, patient records, organ donation data, living wills, laboratory findings, blood types, disease progression and possible allergies. Legislators and health insurers hope for better patient care on the one hand and healthcare cost savings on the other. Better insight into the patient's history can save unnecessary and duplicate examinations. Some doctors criticize that this could limit the work of the physician, because investigations at certain intervals may not be taken over by the health insurance. All sensitive patient-related data should be voluntary.

It was also planned to save the medicines and remedies regulations on the map. The electronic recipe is not off the table, but still needs to be evaluated and developed. Accordingly, many other applications are conceivable, „which we can not even imagine today“, As Doris Pfeiffer, chairman of the GKV-Spitzenverband in Berlin said. But Pfeiffer made it clear: against the explicit will of the insured no data is stored on the card.

How expensive will the health card be?
The card will be free of charge for insured persons except for regular insurance contributions. The health insurances cost the new readers and cards so far 306 million euros. The operating company „gematik“, their costs are borne by the medical profession, health insurance companies and clinics, amount to around 300 million euros. Whether the planned savings by avoiding the double examinations make up for the costs is still unclear. There are no reviews or studies about this.

How should the introduction of equip?
By the beginning of 2012, about 10 percent of those insured by law should receive an electronic health card. Some of the insured were already sent a cover letter by their health insurance. The persons concerned must fill out the enclosed form and put a passport photograph in the letter. Some health insurances offer instead of the normal post office also an on-line feedback or the transmission by MMS by Handy. On the internet, insured persons can fill in the form and upload their picture. Those who do not respond to the letter will be contacted again. Once done, the new card will be sent by post. Whether sanctions threaten, if someone refuses to partout, is not confirmed.

Which health insurance companies start with the introduction?
All health insurance funds have been obliged by the Federal Government to have started implementation at least until the end of the year 2011. Cashiers who for whatever reason can not comply with this timetable must pay sensitive fines. Here is an overview of the big coffers.

The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) wants to spend a total of 780,000 health cards. The passport photo can be sent either by mail or online. Who wants to use the Internet service, must be on the homepage of the TK „My TC“ to register. Subsequently, a password for the transmission of the image by mail is sent.

At Barmer GEK, the first test phase has already expired. By 2012, the health insurance wants to have distributed around 800,000 health cards. If you do not want to send your picture by post, you can also use Barmer's online service here. Especially for the cashier has a special page „www.lichtbild.barmer-gek.de“ connected. It is also possible to send via MMS via mobile phone.

At the general local health insurance AOK preparations are in full swing. By the end of the year, for example, the AOK Rheinland / Hamburg wants to have sent 260,000 cash cards. The AOK North-West has announced to send at least 210,000 tickets by the end of 2011. An online dispatch of the map picture is possible. The adress is: „www.aokbild.de“. A special service is the free scanning in some AOK offices. If you want to take advantage of this offer, you should inform yourself in advance with your local service center.

The KKH alliance has already exchanged numerous old cards and delivered new health cards to customers. The passport photo can be uploaded by post or online.

Are the data on the card safe??
The project has been planned since 2006 and should have been implemented long ago. One reason for this delay was the privacy concerns of some critics. For example, it was feared that the patient data could also be made available to the employer. However, the data is encrypted and only authorized access to medical practices has the digital key. This is to ensure that no unauthorized persons gain access to data. Unfortunately, in the digital world, confidential data is never secure. There is therefore a residual risk that even third parties get insight. In the first phase, however, only basic data of the insured person are stored. All other data such as medical reports or laboratory findings are stored only on a voluntary basis. So if you do not want to have sensitive information on the electronic health card, you can object.

Now you have to carry two cash cards with you?
If a new card has been delivered, the old health insurance card must be returned to the insurer or even destroyed. The predecessor model is therefore superfluous. As the cards are gradually distributed, both card models are valid in a transitional phase.

What if the doctor does not have a working reader??
The doctor must still treat the patient and get the data otherwise. No doctor's office will reject the insured for this reason. Very soon, however, all GPs, clinics and outpatient specialists will be equipped with a reader. (Sb)

Also read:
Electronic health card at the AOK Plus
Privacy Policy Electronic Health Card?
Electronic health card from October 2011
Chaos expected with new health card
Warning of electronic health card
Privacy Policy Electronic Health Card?
FDP for introduction of the new health card
Start of the electronic health card

Picture: Sample card of the BKK