Residents across France will soon be able to download and store a digital version of their Carte Vitale[1] health insurance card on their Apple or Android smartphone using the ApCV[2] app currently being piloted in 10 French departments.
News of the national digital rollout comes as the French government has also approved plans to develop a biometric version of the Carte Vitale that will enable holders to verify their identity using their fingerprint or other biometric data stored in a chip on the card.
In addition to verifying their identity, the existing Carte Vitale allows holders to claim reimbursement for healthcare service charges and the digital version will contain the same personal information and operate in the same way.
The launch of the digital Carte Vitale, however, will also make it possible “to add the person’s identité nationale de santé (INS), and, eventually, details of their top-up health insurance policies, commonly referred to as mutuelles,” English language French newspaper The Connexion reports[3].
“The app will also allow people to consult their healthcare bills directly, with the receipts downloading immediately when the app is opened. These will remain available to download for seven days after a medical consultation, after which they will then become inaccessible. Once downloaded, they will be available indefinitely.
“The app will also allow users to delegate the use of their Carte Vitale to someone else they trust for a limited time. This can be useful in the case that a grandparent is taking care of a child and needs to take them to the doctors.”
The digital Carte Vitale will be rolled out in a further
