Chances, Risks and Side Effects of Chip Cards in Medicine: A Technology Assessment Study from Germany

The social security organizations in Germany are confronted with a lot of problems. The costs are continously increasing, the receipts are steadily decreasing. The government has decided to reduce the benefits of the social security and to control the misuse of social services. That is why a bill against the “explosion of costs” has been prepared in the health ministry which became law in 1993.