Cash registers should introduce health card quickly

Coalition increases the pressure on health insurances: health card should be distributed faster

30/09/2011

According to a draft law of the black and yellow federal government, the health insurance companies were obliged to distribute the new electronic health cards to at least 70 percent of all health insurance patients by the end of 2012. Health insurance funds that do not achieve this workload should be subject to severe fines. This is reported by the news agency „dpa“ Appealing to a present bill of the Federal Ministry of Health. By the end of this year, the coffers should have already reached 10 percent, so they have to create another 60 percent next year. With the amendment, the coalition wants to expand the existing since the health care reform scheme to put the coffers under a higher pressure. Originally, only a 10 percent retention rate was mentioned until the end of this year. Now a new regulation is to extend the law by another 60 percent by 2012.

Apparently, the black-yellow federal government wants to accelerate the distribution of the new cash cards, since the project has stumbled massively since 2006. At first, the „bild newspaper“ reported about this relationship. By the end of the year, at least ten percent of the 70 million statutory insured persons will be provided with the health card. By the end of 2012, at least 70 percent of insured persons should have received a new card. Otherwise, cuts threaten allocations. Some cash-desk patients have already received the health insurance card with an electronic chip and passport photo. The Central Association of Health Insurance (GKV) had announced that a large number of cards will be shipped from the first of October. Insured persons must first fill in a form and send a passport photo. Many letters were sent months ago.

Hardly more features in the new health card
Currently, the functionality of the new map is hardly better than the old GKV map. New is only the passport photo and the gender on the front of the cash card. For now, nothing should change. It is planned, however, that medical reports, X-rays, laboratory findings and organ donor card will be stored on the card. Experts estimate that in a few years, GPs and clinics can download and retrieve the data online from a health insurance server.

The federal government is planning to put pressure on the coffers. That's what the paper says, „Health insurance funds that do not issue electronic health cards to at least 70 percent of their insured persons by the end of 2012 should not increase their administrative expenses in 2013 compared to 2012.“ Already in the years 2011 and 2012 was a stop of the administrative expenditure of the funds. It remains questionable whether financially troubled coffers can keep up with this fast pace. The expenditure for the project is estimated at more than 600 million euros. It remains unclear whether the costs will not increase further.

With the introduction of the new map, the politicians hope for cost savings in the millions. If the network is set up with the online server, costly duplicate examinations could be saved in the future. Doctors have quick access to existing laboratory tests or MRI diagnoses, so they could initiate more targeted treatments more quickly. To date, the data protection aspects are highly controversial. On the part of the coffers but it says, „the data is transmitted in encrypted form. Only authorized physicians and hospitals have the key and the appropriate readers to record the patient's health records“. Nevertheless, some critics complain about the storage of highly sensitive data. It will be some time before all questions are finally resolved. The chairman of the health insurance association GKV, Doris Pfeiffer emphasized that the storage only happens in the case of the consent of the patient. If you do not want to be, you will not be forced.

Health insurance companies criticize threats from politicians
The Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) is considered a pioneer in the distribution of the health card. In previous field trials, TK had already extensively tested the functionality of the readers and cards. The instructions of the Federal Ministry of Health could definitely comply with the TK, as a spokesman told the news agency stressed. „We may have spent 70 percent by the end of next year, but decisions must be made as soon as possible“. The latter hint went to the policy, which is called upon to immediately implement the bill as a law.

A spokeswoman for the Kassenspitzenverband criticized the unilateral attitude of the legislator. „Further legal incentives are not necessary“. After all, the health insurance companies are already very active and would do their job well. The health insurance companies would not have any influence on the production and delivery processes. If such a duty rate, then the should „also apply to the industry and the doctors“.

Opposite the tabloid Bild said the health expert of the CDU, Jens Spahn: „The electronic health card is the largest IT project in Europe. We finally want to move it forward.“ The Federal Ministry of Food is still covered. Such a regulation as mentioned is currently being discussed. A ministry spokeswoman said: „The funds should continue to have incentives to drive the project forward.“ (Sb)

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Picture: Sample card of the AOK