France to Bring Health Card Into Digital ID App, Forego Biometric Registration

France’s digital transformation in healthcare continues with the announcement that the Carte Vitale – the country’s health insurance card – will soon be accessible through the France Identité app.

The new development, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2025, will allow all French residents with a Carte Vitale to manage their healthcare documentation through the existing app, which already supports digital identity cards and driver’s licenses. Currently, access to the digital Carte Vitale is limited to a trial phase available in approximately 23 departments across France, but the new expansion will make it available nationwide​.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s recent announcement highlights the convenience this integration will provide, particularly for individuals who may forget their physical Carte Vitale at medical appointments. With the digital card, users will be able to scan their phone via NFC-enabled card readers for easy access to healthcare services and to facilitate payments. The digitized Carte Vitale will offer the same benefits and legal recognition as the physical card, ensuring that French citizens can use either version interchangeably​.

The digital health card is part of broader plans to streamline French identification documents, providing a more efficient and fraud-resistant healthcare system. Though biometric options for the Carte Vitale were explored in recent years, the high costs associated with implementing biometric data were deemed prohibitive, especially with the government’s current budget constraints. Instead, the digital version will continue to use ID-based verification with a four-digit code for security, rather than more expensive biometric solutions​.

Despite these advancements, some users participating in the trial phase have encountered usability issues, which authorities are addressing as they prepare for the app’s broader release. As of now, users can set up the digital Carte Vitale by linking their French ID or residency permit and following an onboarding process that includes setting up a four-digit PIN. These steps are meant to ensure that only authorized users can access healthcare services via the app, supporting the government’s goals to reduce fraud in the healthcare system.

Source: The Connexion

–

October 9, 2024 – by Ali Nassar-Smith