The shareholders of Gematik GmbH have decided on alternatives to the upcoming device replacement for particularly secure hardware routers, so-called connectors. Due to expiring crypto certificates, the devices are to be replaced. As an alternative, Gematik, which is responsible for the “secure health network”, now calls a “extension of the TI device card or a connection via a data center solution”. However, these options will only be seen for devices whose certificates expire in September 2023.
This does not apply to all connectors to be replaced by then. According to information available online from voonze, by August 2023 only the connectors from the manufacturer CompuGroup Medical (CGM) will have to be replaced, which was the only manufacturer to date not to have provided an update to product type version 5 (PTV 5) for the connectors. Gematik confirmed to voonze online that, at least for the year 2022, connectors will mostly be affected by CGM.
Another 130 million euros for connector replacement
It seems so, as if the connectors already delivered by CGM do not come with PTV 5 either. This is, for example, a prerequisite for the electronic patient file version 2.0. Originally, around 130,000 devices were to be replaced, which would entail costs of around 400 million euros. According to Gematik, 15,150 certificates in the devices will expire in 2022, 58,083 devices in the following year and a total of 54,914 in 2024. This means that a total of around 56,000 connectors will have to be replaced up to and including August 2023, which corresponds to a sum of around 130 million euros.
Analysis by c’t had shown that a hardware exchange is not absolutely necessary. In this context, c’t had suggested various alternatives for exchanging the expensive hardware. Nevertheless, neither Gematik nor the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) wanted to deviate from the original plan. For this reason, c’t and voonze online finally contacted Health Minister Karl Lauterbach directly.
The shareholders of Gematik also recommend adapting the financing model for the connection to TI. The head of digitization and innovation in the Federal Ministry of Health, Susanne Ozegowski, also called for fair prices, more competition and quality at the beginning of August.
E-prescription on health card earlier than planned
The redemption of the e-prescription using the electronic health card (eGK) should also come earlier than planned – at least the necessary specification for the beginning of September is promised. This may be a reaction to the demands of the Westphalia-Lippe Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KVWL) and other associations such as the Federal Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists and the Westphalia-Lippe Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. The KVWL no longer wants to actively participate in the test of the e-prescription unless it can be redeemed with the help of the eGK by November at the latest.
It is still not known whether the health card has to be inserted into a card reader or read out wirelessly using the NFC function. Doctors currently only provide their patients with the e-prescription as a printout – provided they are equipped for it. With the Gematik e-prescription app, on the other hand, an e-prescription is called up less frequently, which is due to the complicated registration process for the app. Gematik also wants to find a “comfortable and practical solution” for e-prescriptions for mail-order and online pharmacies.
