Insured without electronic health card

Millions of Germans still without an electronic health card

11/01/2014

Since the beginning of the year, the electronic health card (eGK) has replaced the old health insurance card. But there are still millions of Germans without the new eGK. Health insurance companies are now increasingly trying to put pressure on these insured persons.

Cash registers exert pressure on insured persons
At the beginning of the new year, the old health insurance card was replaced by the electronic health card (eGK). But there are still millions of Germans without a new eGC. Health insurance companies are therefore trying for weeks over letters to exert pressure on these insured. So customers who had not yet sent a photo for the new card could read: „Your old health insurance card will expire on January 1, 2014.“ However, this statement, which was also read in numerous media, is not entirely correct.

Three million Germans without a health card
According to information from the Central Association of Statutory Health Insurance (GKV), around 95 percent of all insured persons were endowed with the new card at the end of 2013. Conversely, this means that about five percent, ie about three of the 70 million insured currently have no valid card. Especially for this part of the population many questions and answers about the electronic health card are still open. According to the information provided by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, those who are not yet in possession of an eGC can use the old card provided it is still valid from the imprint.

Deadline until 30th September
As the competent AOK spokesman André Maßmann explained, the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds have agreed on a transitional period until 30 September of this year. „As long as the doctor can also use the old card for billing“, explained Maßmann. The central association of the statutory health insurance continues to be interested in a dissemination of the electronic health card. „Whether the physician makes use of this option and then accepts the old insurance card can and will probably vary from doctor to doctor.“

Printed validity date is relevant
The deputy spokeswoman of the GKV-Spitzenverband, Ann Marini, pointed out that it depends on the complacency of the individual doctor: „If the doctor says he accepts the old card, then it works. The patient is not entitled to it.“ And the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Bavaria stated in a press release: „Relevant to the attending physician is only the validity date printed on the insurance card.“

Little use for a lot of money
Currently, the health card brings little benefit to the customer, but costs a lot of money. One of the novelties of the card is that it bears the owner's photograph. Also located on the back of the „European Health Insurance Card“, which can be used for treatments in other EU countries. In the future, the integrated chip of the eGK could be used to transmit medical data via a separate electronic network between doctors' practices, if the patient agrees. Whether the costs of about 730 million euros, which have invested the health insurance companies in the introduction of the card, worthwhile, the future will have to show.

Doctor can charge costs
From a purely technical point of view, the reuse of the old health insurance card is no problem, as clarified by Gematik, the company responsible for the technical implementation of the electronic health card. In addition, in principle, in case of problems, a replacement procedure is possible, which also runs, for example, lost insurance cards. In this case, the patient could submit a valid proof of insurance or the eGK within ten days after treatment, so that the doctor settles the cash directly as usual. If this deadline is not met, the doctor will charge the treatment costs privately to the insured person. The latter can only reimburse the costs for the already paid invoices by the doctor if he submits a corresponding proof of insurance by the end of the respective quarter. (Ad)