The public health insurance card, known as the "Gesundheitskarte" or electronic health card (eGK), is an essential tool for accessing healthcare services. Your public health insurance provider is the one who issues it. This card contains a microchip that stores your personal insurance data, including your full name, date of birth, address, and membership number. Each insured individual, including minors, must have their own card.
Once your membership is confirmed, your public health insurance provider will reach out to you to ask you for a photo and the confirmation of your address to issue your card.
If you have applied for membership through Feather, you can also request your card for most of the providers in your Feather account, making it easy to upload your photo and confirm your address digitally.
The eHealth card is typically the size of a standard credit card and includes the following elements:
Front Side:
Chip: Stores your insurance information.
Personal Details: Your name, date of birth, your personal health insurance number (Versichertennummer), and policy number (Versicherung).
Photograph: For individuals aged 15 and above.
Health Insurance Provider's Logo: Identifies your insurer.
Back Side:
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC): Allows access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during temporary stays in other EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the UK, and Switzerland.
Signature, 3. name, 4. first name, 5. birth date, 6. personal health insurance number, 7. identification number, 8. card number, 9. expiry date
To use your Gesundheitskarte, present it at each visit to a doctor, dentist, hospital, or pharmacist to get prescribed medicine. The healthcare provider or pharmacy will read the information stored on the card to verify your insurance status and facilitate direct billing with your insurer. This process ensures that you receive the necessary medical services without upfront payments.
It's important to carry your eHealth card with you at all times, as it serves as proof of your health insurance coverage and grants you access to healthcare services both within Germany and, through the EHIC, in other participating European countries.