Electronic health card (eGK)

To issue the electronic health card (eGK), we need a passport-sized photo. It does not have to be taken by a photographer, but must meet certain criteria:

• one-part color image in portrait format or in a usable format without rounded corners
• the illustration shows a human head
• the height of the facial image on the color image is at least 32 mm (measured from the hairline to the chin)
• the face is centered on the photo
• the face is clear and sharp in all areas
• the face is evenly illuminated in all parts
• the image display offers sufficient brightness and is sufficiently rich in contrast to enable good color/greyscale reproduction
• the background of the picture offers a clear contrast to the face and hair
• the background of the picture shows no disturbing contours
• No other persons or objects can be seen in the picture
• the skin tones are natural and without any color cast, the colors are reproduced naturally
• the image can be in color or black and white
• the picture shows a person with a neutral facial expression and closed mouth
• the person is looking straight into the camera
• the eyes are open, clearly visible and not covered by hair or spectacle frames
• there are no specular reflections – e.g. from spectacle lenses – that limit the recognizability of the face
• the face must be fully recognizable in the picture and without headgear (with the exception of religious communities and clerical orders, the headgear must not impair clear identification)
• no uniform parts or signs/insignia prohibited under German criminal law can be seen on the color image

The electronic health card contains the following mandatory personal data:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Address
• Health insurance number
• Insured status (member, family member or pensioner)

The electronic health card also offers the option of voluntarily storing additional medical information in addition to the mandatory data in its further development stages. Each and every insured person can decide for themselves which voluntary applications they wish to use.

Emergency data

In an emergency, accident doctors have to act quickly. In future, insured persons will be able to voluntarily store emergency-related information such as allergies, chronic illnesses, drug intolerances and other important diagnoses on their card.

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Medication plan

This application makes it possible to document medication taken in order to check drug compatibility. The first stage of the drug therapy safety check is the electronic medication plan. All medication data, drug prescription data and therapy suggestion data for a patient can be documented on a voluntary basis.

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If voluntary applications are used, insured persons alone can decide whether and which medical data should be stored using the health card access key. No one can access this confidential data without consent. A personal identification number (PIN) is required for this. This secret number turns the card into the insured person’s personal key.

As a counterpart, (dental) doctors and psychotherapists also receive their own card, the so-called health professional card.

The data can only be decrypted and read once the health card and the healthcare professional ID card are inserted in the card reader and both sides have identified themselves with their respective personal identification number (PIN).

Important:

• No PIN is required for everyday use at doctor’s appointments or for reading out emergency data, even after the card has been issued.
• Each health card is provided with its own PIN. If you receive a new card, an existing PIN is therefore worthless.
  So that you can assign a PIN to the only valid health card, we will also provide you with a card identification number in the letter accompanying the PIN. This identification number can be found on the back of the card.

If a patient goes to the doctor without a health card, they must submit a valid card within ten days for treatments that cannot be postponed. Otherwise, the doctor or psychotherapist can bill the treatment privately. If the patient submits the valid eGK by the end of the quarter or if their health insurance company confirms that they were entitled to benefits at the time of treatment, they will receive the money back and the doctor will bill the treatment as usual as a health insurance benefit. The so-called substitute procedure only applies in the following cases:

• the health card is not yet available after a change of health insurance company or change of insurance type
• the health card is not readable due to a technical defect.
• the health card cannot be scanned on a mobile device during a home visit.

In the substitute procedure, the patient confirms that he or she is a member of the health insurance fund by signing a billing slip.

No. You will not receive a new eGK from us after moving house. Since the “G2” generation of cards, your personal data is updated directly on the chip when you visit the doctor. If you have given us your new address, it will be synchronized on the chip when you next visit the doctor.

Most smartphones and tablets now have an NFC interface. This allows you to access your health card “contactlessly”. With the introduction of the electronic patient file, the first real application is available that can be opened securely from a smartphone or tablet using a card and PIN.

Nothing changes in doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, as they do not have NFC-enabled readers.

If your health card is already suitable for contactless use, you will find an NFC symbol at the top of your health card.

You need the CAN to use your contactless health card. The CAN is an additional access condition. It is entered on the reader (e.g. smartphone or tablet). Entering the CAN is necessary to establish a secure encrypted connection between your health card and your end device. This is to prevent unauthorized third-party access.

The CAN is printed on your health card. It has six digits and is also stored in the chip on your card.

Using your health card with the NFC function is considered secure, as data can only be transmitted in encrypted form at a short distance and only in combination with your CAN.

There are two options for these cases, in which a so-called “electronic replacement certificate” is sent directly to the practice:

1. If the so-called practice’s KIM address is known (usually available as a QR code at registration), insured persons can scan this code via the BKK app of the online branch (OGS) (section “My BKK W&F”, tile “Certificates”).
   The insured person’s data will then be sent electronically from BKK W&F to the practice automatically and within a few minutes.
   This offer is mandatory (this obligation does not yet apply to dentists).
2. The practice can also request an electronic replacement certificate without an app via its own practice management software. However, the consent of the insured person must be documented separately.
   Practices can offer this service voluntarily.