User names, PINs, passwords - at best, all the access data we have is different. The GesundheitsID makes this easier, at least in healthcare: with this digital ID card, you can log in to applications such as the ePrescription or the Electronic Patient record (ePA) quickly, easily and securely.
What is the HealthID?
The HealthID serves as a kind of ID card. Strictly speaking, it is a digital identity that enables every voluntary user to identify themselves unmistakably in health apps. Currently, the HealthID is created automatically during the registration process for Electronic Patient Records (ePA). The HealthID is then used to access one's own file.
What is the difference between the Health ID and the ePA?
Put simply, the ePA is like a secure safe in which all important documents are stored. This could be information about previous illnesses, medication plans, findings or the immunisation record, for example. Doctors' surgeries and hospitals can view and use these documents if you authorise this. The health ID, on the other hand, is something like a code to this safe. Without a key, you have no access to the contents. However, it is important to know that the HealthID is not a must in order to be able to manage the ePA. It is merely a secure access option.
What are the advantages of the HealthID?
In future, it should also be possible to use digital health applications (DiGa apps) with the ID, for example. From 2026, you will also be able to use the Health ID instead of your insurance card in doctors' surgeries.
How is data protection guaranteed with the GesundheitsID?
The security of your data is not only a particularly high priority with the ePA, but also with the Health ID. So that unauthorised persons cannot access your sensitive data under any circumstances, there is so-called 2-factor authentication. You assign an individual 6-digit code as part of the set-up process. This is device-bound and you always need the correct end device to access your data.
Furthermore, your ID can only be entered using a smartphone or tablet - and this in turn must be authorised using the fingerprint sensor or another password, for example. You must also regularly confirm your ID using your online ID card or electronic health card and the corresponding PIN. The data is stored and processed in encrypted form in a data centre in Germany, a so-called cloud, in accordance with European data protection regulations.