Germany's electronic health card and ePA plans face criticism over costs and insurer access

The Bundes der Steuerzahler (BdSt) labelled Germany's electronic health card (eGK) as the most expensive failed investment, citing €1.7 billion already spent and a projected further €1.5 billion over the next five years for outdated technology. BdSt President Reiner Holznagel urged the government to abandon the eGK and adopt market‑available alternatives, warning that the system offers only basic patient data and stifles competition.

Separately, the physicians’ association SpiFa sharply rejected a draft health‑ministerial regulation that would let health insurers use electronic patient‑record (ePA) apps to book appointments in doctors’ practices. SpiFa chairman Dr. Dirk Heinrich warned that the measure would breach practice autonomy, equate outpatient specialist care with statutory‑insured services, and move German health care toward “state medicine.” Both groups call for greater competition and caution against expanding insurer control over medical data and scheduling.