Romania to implement health card in 2011

The Romanian government has announced that electronic health insurance cards will be rolled out nationally at the start of next year.

The cards will be separate to the European Health Insurance Card, and will hold personal information, proof of health insurance payments, applications for medical services, information on life-threatening medical diagnoses, and the cardholder’s blood type.

Health Minister Attila Cseke, said: "By introducing the national health insurance cards, we make an important computerisation step. We can cut red tape to prove the identity of the insured."

The minister added: “The implementation of the national card will improve cost control in the health insurance system by introducing additional mechanisms for records, reports and statements of accounts.

"It will also ensure rapid access for health providers to a minimum set of data necessary for decision making, in particular in cases of medical emergencies."

The providers of healthcare, medicines and medical devices who have contracts with health insurers, will have to provide medical assistance to the holders of the cards.

The government has also announced that it has appointed the National Printing House to produce and distribute the cards to ensure that they are printed with special characters to protect against forgery and counterfeiting.

The card will be sent out via post to around 18m Romanian citizens, who are insured either by law or as a result of their payments.

Cseke added: “We will propose that the issuance should be made primarily for employees and individuals who contribute with a sum to the National Health Insurance House, and after this stage, we will get to issue cards for other categories of persons, who by law have this quality [of insured citizens]."