Confusion over Romania’s new electronic identity cards leaves patients carrying two documents

Romanian patients who have switched to electronic identity cards may need to carry two documents when they visit a doctor or pharmacy: the new identity card and their old health card.

Medical providers, hospitals, pharmacies and other health-care institutions were originally expected to use the electronic identity card to validate services from Sept. 1. The National Health Insurance House gave them additional time to adapt their software and card readers, however, leaving the new system unavailable at some medical practices.

Vasile Barbu, president of the National Association for Patient Protection, said the situation differs from one practice to another. Some doctors and pharmacists already have compatible readers, while others bought cheaper devices that do not work with the new system. Barbu said some of those readers were not secure enough and could not even process older health cards.

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We discussed the readers with doctors and pharmacists across the country, from Baia Mare to Întorsura Buzăului, and the situation differs from one practice to another.

He also said providers had not had enough time to update their software to support the electronic identity card while maintaining compatibility with the old health card. Some practices replaced their existing equipment entirely after misunderstanding the requirements, temporarily leaving them unable to work.

The two systems will therefore operate in parallel to prevent interruptions. Barbu said doctors should keep their old readers because patients should not be affected while the new system is tested and made compatible with population records.

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The two systems must operate in parallel to avoid interruptions.