Electronic ID to replace SIS card

Patients will no longer need their SIS card in order to receive treatment or to buy prescription drugs, health minister Laurette Onkelinx announced today. From January 2014, the electronic ID card will suffice - although the chip won’t store any medical data. SIS cards, which were launched 15 years ago, were soon to be renewed, at a considerable cost: 11 million cards have been issued in Belgium. In an effort to streamline the computerisation of the healthcare system, it was decided to use the ID card instead.  Via the identity card, health workers such as doctors and pharmacists will be able to check a patient’s insurability, i.e. their right to healthcare. The information will pass through a secure data network between health insurers and care providers. The data will not be stored on the ID card and access to it will be restricted to care providers who will be pre-authenticated via the e-Health platform. Officials such as the police won’t have access to the data.