Germany's e-health programme more costly than planned

de.internet.com - Elektronische Gesundheitskarte offenbar deutlich teurer als erwartet

The first phase of Germany's electronic health programme could prove to be three times more expensive than the Federal Government has anticipated, according to the head of the country's association of private health insurers. Klaus Dietz told German news magazine Focus that the Federal Health Ministery's estimate of a 1.5 billion euro price for the eGK (Elektronische GesundheitsKarte) healthcare smartcard was almost certainly wide of the mark. Dietz reckons that the cost of the first phase of the programme is more likely to be around 4 billion euros. Dietz said that insurance premiums would almost certainly have to increase to meet the additional cost of the country's e-health programme.

A spokesman for the TK, the professional health insurance fund, doubted that anyone could predict the cost of eGK until it has been completed. Hermann Baerenfaenger told the magazine that no one knows the cost of the programme.