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Secure Module Card (SMC-B and SMC-B ORG) for medical practices/institutions

Authentication of authorized institutions to the telematics infrastructure

The SMC-B card, also known as the electronic ID card for medical practices and institutions, is the key to the telematics infrastructure (TI) that connects all stakeholders in the healthcare sector. Participating institutions in the healthcare system use this card to authenticate themselves as a medical facility (practice, hospital, rehabilitation and preventive care facility, pharmacy or hospital pharmacy) vis-à-vis the services of the TI.

Your advantages at a glance

  • Secure access to the telematics infrastructure

  • Fast and easy to use

  • Access to patient information (master data of insured persons) within the TI

  • Encryption of communication in the medical sector (KIM) within the TI

  • A solution certified by gematik and card issuers
  • Future-proof with the latest G 2.1 card generation

Product details

Smartcard for secure access to the telematics infrastructure

The ID card for medical practices and institutions (SMC-B card), the so-called Security Module Card, type B, offers secure access to the digital health network in Germany, i.e., the telematics infrastructure (TI). Medical, psychotherapy and dental practices, pharmacies, hospitals, rehabilitation and preventive care facilities as well as hospital pharmacies are all obliged to participate in the TI. SMC-B ORG is the card for organizations in the healthcare sector that are not service providers, for instance, health insurance companies, Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians/Dentists, TIM manufacturers and providers or chambers.

There is no technical difference between the card for medical practices and the card for medical institutions; the only difference is the user group. The SMC-B for doctors, dentists and psychotherapists is called a medical practice card, for pharmacies, hospitals, private clinics and other institutions in the healthcare system it is called a medical institution card. Both versions have the same functions. The SMC-B or SMC-B ORG card allows the above service providers and organizations to access the telematics infrastructure (TI).

The SMC-B card for medical practices is issued by the Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians/Dentists and by the chambers of pharmacists in the respective federal states. The SMC-B card for institutions in the in-patient sector is issued by Deutsche Krankenhaus TrustCenter und Informationsverarbeitung GmbH (DKTIG). The SMC-B ORG card for other organizations in the healthcare sector (health insurance companies, Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians/Dentists, chambers, etc.) is issued by gematik GmbH. D‑Trust GmbH, a Bundesdruckerei Group company, is the trust service provider and produces both the SMC-B and SMC-B ORG card.

One card for many digital applications

This small card has a key role to play in the digital healthcare industry. Inserted into the card terminal and together with a secret PIN, the card confirms beyond a trace of doubt the identity of the respective medical practice or institution. It offers the following functions:

Authentication:

The identity of the authorized institution is proven and the connection to the telematics infrastructure is secured.

Institutional stamp:

The electronic signature triggers actions on behalf of the respective institution and serves as proof of origin.

Institutional encryption:

An encryption certificate and key enable secure communication of medical practice data via e-mail for all authorized persons at the medical institution.

The SMC-B enables use of cryptographic identities:

  • access to data on the electronic health card,
  • authentication of an institution when accessing the TI by establishing a VPN connection,
  • electronic signing of documents or data, whereby this signature is assigned to the institution and not to an individual person, as well as encryption,
  • decryption and transcoding of messages via the KIM (Communication in Medicine) service.

Step by step towards secure connection to the TI:

  1. Order the SMC-B card for medical practices and institutions via our Application portal
  2. Carrying out personal identification of the applicant
  3. Your application is approved by your Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians/Dentists, the chamber of pharmacists or by DKTIG.
  4. The card is produced and then sent by registered letter. The PIN/PUK letter is sent separately at a later date.
  5. Once delivered, your card is activated on the Application portal.

Order your SMC-B card for medical practices or institutions via D‑Trust’s Application Portal now. Please note that you can only apply for an SMC-B card for your institution if this card can also be assigned to a holder of an electronic health professional card.

Download

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Infographic telematics infrastructure

Frequently Asked Questions

The main difference between the two card types is the encryption method used. Generation G 2.1 cards also use the more advanced ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography) encryption method.

G 2.0

According to gematik specifications for online productive operation (Level 1) – OPB1 Release 1.6.4/Product Type Version 4.4.0-2

Certificates on the SMC-B:

  • X.509 nonQES (for authentication and encryption)
  • X.509 QES (for signing)
  • CV certificate 1 (for access to electronic health card (eGK) G1 plus)
  • CV certificate 2 (for access to eGK G2)
  • Device certificate (for device authentication)

G 2.1

According to gematik specifications for online productive operation gemProdT_HBA_ObjSys_G2_1_PTV_4.7.1-0

Certificates on the SMC-B:

  • RSA and ECC X.509 nonQES (for authentication and encryption)
  • CV certificate 1 (for access to electronic health card (eGK) G1 plus)
  • CV certificate 2 (for access to eGK G2)
  • Device certificate (for device authentication)

Please note that you can only apply for an SMC-B card for your institution if this card can also be assigned to a holder of an electronic health professional card.

Medical or psychotherapy practice:

Doctors and psychotherapists can order their SMC-B card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

Dental practice:

Dental surgeries must register in the portal of their Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists (KZV). They will then be forwarded to the D‑Trust Application Portal. Dental surgeries receive pre-filled applications from their respective KZV association.

Hospital / private clinic:

Hospitals and private clinics can order their SMC-B card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

The person applying must be an authorized representative of the institution (hospital, private clinic). Proof must be provided in the form of a document appropriate to the institution's legal form.

Manufacturer/provider of digital health applications (DiGA):

Manufacturer/provider of digital health applications can order their SMC-B card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

Private health insurance (PKV):

Private health insurance can order their SMC-B card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

Pharmacy:

Pharmacies can order their SMC‑B card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

Outpatient facility:

Applicants can order their SMC‑B card for outpatient facilities directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal

The person applying must be the owner or co-owner of the practice.

Applicants in the outpatient sector include:

  • Emergency departments
  • Other outpatient departments at a hospital with SHI-accredited physician billing
  • Authorized doctors
  • Affiliated doctors
  • Medical care centres (MVZs)

Please select ‘SMC-B card for a medical practice’ when you apply. The application for the outpatient sector is checked and approved by the relevant statutory health insurance association as the card issuer.

Other organizations in the healthcare sector (SMC-B ORG):

Other organizations in the healthcare sector can order their SMC-B ORG card directly on the D‑Trust Application Portal: https://ehealth.d-trust.net/antragsportal.

 

Optional code:

D-Trust cooperates with CGM to make access to the telematics infrastructure (TI) as easy as possible for customers of CompuGroup Medical (CGM). Only CGM customers receive a ten-digit order code which is entered in D-Trust's online application portal. This ensures that the CGM-certified technician who connects the medical practice to the TI can track the status of the application selectively until delivery and take this into account when scheduling the installation date for the TI components. The order code is optional and only relevant for CGM customers.

Telephone number:

The telephone number is used for the SMS-TAN procedure, among other things, to activate or block the certificates of the SMC-B. You should therefore use a mobile phone or a landline number with a direct extension. Please ensure the correct international notation: 0049171123456789 or 004930123456789.

E-Mail address:

Please ensure that your e-mail address is current and spelt correctly, as regular status information on your application and the SMC-B card will be sent to this e-mail address.

Billing address:

If you want to claim the invoice for tax purposes, please ensure that you provide the correct billing address. If necessary, clarify this matter with your tax advisor before submitting the application.

Delivery address:

Please ensure that the registered letter will be accepted at the address provided.

As soon as the card is produced, it is sent by registered letter to the known delivery address to be handed over in person. Please note that the applicant must accept the registered letter in person. If necessary, you can appoint a proxy to receive the SMC-B/SMC-B ORG card or authorize another person to receive post on your behalf. 

The PIN letter is sent by post to the address stored in the application three days after the card was sent.

From 1 April 2023, the card issuer is obliged to check the identity of the applicant. This applies to both the first and all subsequent cards. We can offer you the following options for this purpose:

  • Identservice of DPAG, the German Post Office (Deutsche Post AG): You will be directed to the pages of Deutsche Post through a personalised link. There you can choose between two alternative procedures: 1. The classic postal identification procedure which is carried out at a branch of Deutsche Post, or 2) online identification with the eID function of your identity card - conveniently from your home.
  • On-site identification by qualified employees of the D-Trust trust service provider and their partners, e.g. CGM Easy Ident: the identification procedure takes place on your premises or at a central event. For this, you only need the complete application documents and your valid identification document as recorded in the application documents. Advantage to you: you are identified directly on site and do not have to go to the post office.

Please note that you must use the same ID document for identification purposes as the one you entered in your application and that you must also enter the required information exactly as they are given in the identification document.

Do you have any other questions about the SMC-B? Contact us:

Piktogramm für Support
D-Trust
Support
+49 (0)30 2598 - 4050

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