Health insurance companies do not provide enough information about the new version of electronic patient records (EPA). This comes from an analysis by the Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers (vzbv), which is available to the pharmacy Umschau. From the beginning of 2025, everyone with statutory health insurance must receive an electronic patient file – unless they object.
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As of November at the latest, all health insurance companies have been sending information letters about ePA 3.0 and objection options; Information should be provided in a low-threshold manner via the electronic patient file. Accordingly, the 14 statutory health insurance funds whose letters were examined hardly did so. Former head of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Medicine, Prof. Jurgenwickler also agrees with this view.
Exchange of blows in the Bundestag: New data retention is getting closer“The purpose of the long, detailed list is clearly to include the information that authorizes the insured to make a decision on the objection.” However, “the content of the list as well as the way in which the information is presented to the EPA and the way in which the legal obligation to provide information is handled do little to prevent the desire to object from arising or at the outset.” Suitable for finishing “, Diaper Comments in Observer HealthWho himself analyzed four letters. This gives the impression that contradiction is undesirable.
The main criticism is that the information sheets of the funds examined are not detailed enough and do not provide information about potential risks. AOK Nordwest, for example, describes the data in the electronic patient file as “absolutely secure”, although there are significant concerns regarding data security. In addition, some letters advertise functions that are not yet available, such as electronic vaccination certificates. In the past, there has been repeated criticism from various quarters that this may give rise to false expectations among the insured. In this context, the low objection rates reported by major health insurance companies are no less surprising.
Offliners suffer losses
The way health insurance companies provide information about alternatives to objections to the EPA is also viewed critically. According to Clapper, electronic health record information is “hard to find.” Similarly, nowhere is it stated that the data will end up in the European Health Data Space or possibly the Transatlantic Data Space, as the Ministry of Health had already announced, although this is not provided for by law.
Additionally, many health insurance companies advertise the option to lodge an objection online. It should also be possible to object to a lower limit, for example by post. Matthias Meiwes, the SPD’s eHealth spokesperson in the Bundestag, can only partially understand the criticism from consumer advocates. As he tells ApothekemeschauHe is pushing for improvements regarding the possibility of objection, but does not see people without digital devices being completely excluded.
unacceptable as grounds for exit
Similarly, many health insurance companies also recommend thinking carefully about whether to “exclude” data from your EPA or opt out service providers. Washer summarizes, “If this was about promoting a product then none of this would be objectionable, however, as a basis for an opt-out process it is completely unacceptable.”
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