High bills without health card

Tens of thousands of Germans still without a health card

31.12.2014

At the turn of the year, the old health insurance card will finally be replaced by the new electronic health card (eGK). Tens of thousands of patients who do not yet have a new card face high medical and medical bills. The eGK rejects an alliance of more than 50 organizations and would like to stamp out the billions project.

Tens of thousands without electronic health card
From 1 January 2015, the old health insurance card will be finally replaced by the new electronic health card (eGK). However, according to information from the Federal Ministry of Health, two per cent of the statutory health insurance in Germany do not yet have an eGC. In Schleswig-Holstein alone, there are around 42,000 insured, like the „Lübeck news“ (LN) reported online. From New Year high doctors and medical bills threatened, as those who still present their old insurance cards to the doctor may have to pay the treatment out of their own pocket. And the additional payment for medicines falls without a health card.

„Stops the e-card“
The initiative „Stops the e-card“ estimates the proportion of insured persons without the photo cards even at five percent. at „Stops the e-card“ It is a broad coalition of more than 50 civil rights organizations, privacy advocates, patient and medical associations. Participants include the Data Retention Working Group, the Chaos Computer Club, IPPNW, Freie Ärzteschaft e. V., NAV-Virchowbund and the German AIDS-Hilfe. The Alliance rejects the eGC and calls for the billions project to be stamped. The spokeswoman for the action, dr. Silke Lüder, calls the strict regulations for „eGK objectors“ a „chicane“. These get despite paid contributions to the legal health insurance a private bill and must go with medicines, physiotherapy and aids also in advance. „Privacy-critical citizens should therefore pay extra for punishment“, so Lüder. Numerous other organizations and experts have also criticized the ECG in the past. It was pointed out, among other things, that apart from the picture, there was no significant change and the expensive abolition of the health insurance card introduced in 1995 can hardly be justified.

Patients are also treated without eGK
The speaker of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Schleswig-Holstein (KVSH), Marco Dethlefsen stated loudly to the LN: „Old insurance cards can no longer be read in the surgeries“. But even patients without an e-card would be treated naturally. However, within ten days they would have to present either their new card or a certificate of insurance from their fund in practice. „After this period, a doctor may charge the treatment privately.“ Although the money will be reimbursed by the funds, but only within the quarter. Those patients who had not submitted any proof or e-card by the end of March were therefore left with the costs.

In the pharmacy it can be expensive
With medicines it becomes even more difficult according to LN. „Instead of a cash register recipe, only a private recipe may be issued without the eGK“, so the KVSH spokesman. Thus, in the pharmacy so not only the proportion of patients, but the full price of the remedy is due. This could get expensive. „An antibiotic alone costs between 15 and 100 euros“, explained Gerd Ehmen, President of the Pharmacists' Chamber. But even if the money will be refunded by the pharmacies on proof of insurance, Ehmen feared problems, as many funds are bound by discount agreements to certain manufacturers. If a patient receives a drug from a manufacturer not listed by his health insurance company, the health fund could cut or even refuse to pay the manufacturer's rebate. „In pharmacies we will probably be confronted with these problems in the new year“, so Ehmen.

In the north you are worried little
Not so much the strict objectors worry, but rather old people who have not applied for an eGK due to excessive demands or inability. However one considers the problems with the AOK northwest for manageable. „Almost all“ Insured now have an eGK, as a spokeswoman announced. In addition, all others were written before the turn of the year again. Volker Clasen, spokesman for the state representative of the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK), estimates the eGK share „over 97 percent“, the proportion of „complete objectors“ but low. (Ad)