So far, anyone who is on sick leave has had to ensure that the certificate of incapacity for work reaches the health insurance company. Now that should be done with a mouse click from the doctor’s office.
Weimar (dpa/th) – Digital instead of paper also for the health insurance certificate: From July 1st, medical practices must send the certificate of incapacity for work for their patients electronically to the health insurance companies. In Thuringia, according to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the preparations for the changeover have caused stress in the practices. There have been complaints from practices about problems with the technical connection for months, said a spokesman on request. Technician appointments are not available or are delayed. The gradual introduction of the digital health insurance certificate began last autumn.
At first, the practices only used this option very cautiously, according to the Barmer health insurance company. According to Barmer regional manager Birgit Dziuk, shortly before the deadline of July 1, more than half of the notifications of incapacity for work arrived digitally at the cash register. The AOK Plus put the proportion of electronic reports in Thuringia in the third week of June at 29 percent – about ten times as high as in the initial phase.
For the changeover, medical practices need a technical infrastructure that allows them to securely exchange medical documents digitally. Doctors must also have an electronic health professional card in order to be able to sign the e-medical certificate. According to the KV, practices that are not yet equipped will continue to issue a paper sickness certificate in the event of incapacity to work. In Thuringia, around 3,700 doctors work in practices or medical care centers.
According to KV information, some practices that have already converted complain about technical problems with digital shipping. At least Barmer does not share this assessment. The technical processes between the practices and the checkout are now working “perfectly”, according to Dziuk. The error rate in the data sets sent by the practices is less than two percent.
For example, the Techniker Krankenkasse is convinced that the digital health insurance certificate is an advantage for patients. Previously, patients had to send the bill to the health insurance company, which is no longer necessary, said a spokeswoman. From 2023, the digital sick leave to employers should follow through the practices.
