Healthcare digitization push in Germany looks to digital ID via EUDI Wallet

Germany’s digital transformation efforts are prioritizing enhancements to the electronic patient record (ePA), which will require strong digital identity verification.

Heise Online has coverage of a draft document from the Federal Ministry of Health, which says “insured individuals will not only be able to manage health data via the ePA apps in the future, but will also be more easily directed to outpatient care,” including standardized initial assessments and appointment booking.

The so-called “digital entry into care,” which will put patients into the pipeline starting with the assessment and enable subsequent bookings through a centralized interface, requires the insured to have a digital identity in the form of a Health ID. To facilitate that, the health ministry will enable insurance companies to  offer insured persons secure identification via the eID card option with corresponding electronic residence permits, and, starting on January 2, 2027, through the EUDI Wallet.

Per Heise, from December 1, 2028, it will then serve in healthcare “in the same way as the electronic health card” for authentication and as proof of insurance.

Researchers, health insurers to have more access to data

Germany’s planned Act on Data and Digital Innovation in Healthcare aims to structure a digital strategy for the healthcare and nursing sectors. Part of that vision is that the ePA should become a central hub for all those with health insurance, governed by strict requirements around data protection, information security, accessibility, and non-discriminatory access. Commercial exploitation of the tool will be “expressly excluded.”

That said, data protections are in place in part to enable more extensive use of data in care, research and innovation. The ministry reportedly wants to give health insurance companies “more leeway for new data-driven applications” under a new experimental clause that allows for the establishment of labs to study innovative uses for personal data. Developments on AI are also within the scope of data processing for medical, rehabilitation and nursing research. “This could include applications for diagnostic support, such as evaluating X-ray images, systems for therapy recommendations, AI for evaluating patient data, and general decision support systems for doctors.”

Federal Minister of Health Nina Warken says AI should “be used where it increases the quality of treatment, relieves the burden of documentation, or supports communication.”

Gematik to serve as de facto provider for digitization

The draft also allocates a more power and a larger role to Gematik, or Gesellschaft für Telematikanwendungen der Gesundheitskarte mbH, the German national agency for the digitalization of the healthcare system.

“The Gesellschaft für Telematik is to successively take on a steering role as a so-called provider,” it says. “In particular for components, services, and applications that form the backbone of digital healthcare, the steering of selected service providers and strong enforcement competence of the Gesellschaft für Telematik are essential.”

Gematik approved remote identity verification for digital healthcare services with Nect biometrics near the end of 2025.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  Germany  |  government services  |  healthcare  |  identity verification  |  Nect