Electronic health record (E-HR): opt-out, data protection, benefits

From the EPR to the E-HR: what is set to change

The electronic patient record (EPR) has existed in Switzerland since 2020. It is a digital store for health documents such as discharge reports, medication lists or vaccination records, which you can share with health professionals. It is little used: during the debate in the National Council, the figure mentioned was around 125,000 people with a record.

The Federal Council therefore wants to make a fresh start. On 05.11.2025, it submitted the dispatch on the Federal Act on the Electronic Health Record (EGDG) to Parliament. The electronic health record is abbreviated E-GD in German; we use E-HR here. The main differences under the bill:

The references to the bill relate to the Federal Council’s version of 05.11.2025. Parliament can still change it; for example, on 08.05.2026 the National Council committee decided on a single national community as the point of contact for record holders (FOPH).

Status in Parliament (25.09.2026)

The Federal Council expects the E-HR to be introduced by around 2030. Once the law has been passed, the Confederation intends to procure the central infrastructure and migrate existing EPRs. Until then, the EPR legislation applies. We will update this page after the Council of States has decided.

How the opt-out would work

Under the Federal Council’s bill, automatic opening follows fixed steps (Art. 20 to 24 draft EGDG):

1. Information from the canton: Your canton of residence informs you about the upcoming opening, the responsible community, your right to object, the purpose and scope of data processing, the protective measures and your rights. People who move to the canton or are born receive this information within 30 days.
2. 45 days to object: You can object without giving reasons, to the canton or directly in the information system. No record is then opened.
3. Opening: If you do not object, the canton opens the record and informs you.
4. Set your rights: You decide which health professionals may see which data (Art. 11 para. 2 draft EGDG).
5. Close at any time: You can also close the record later via the information system or via the community (Art. 24 draft EGDG).

If you want a record before the launch, you can open one voluntarily. You need an AHV number and proof of identity, for example a passport, identity card, foreign national identity card or an e-ID (Art. 22 draft EGDG).

Example with fictitious people.

Your rights and data protection

Data protection is the most debated point. The bill gives you the following rights (Art. 11 draft EGDG):

• Access: You see all the data in your record and can download it in a common format.
• Logs: You see who has processed which data.
• Access rights: You give individual professionals or institutions access to all or only some data.
• Emergency access: In medical emergencies, professionals may view the record without authorisation but must inform you. You can exclude this access completely (Art. 11 para. 2 let. b and Art. 13 para. 3 draft EGDG).
• Not recording: You can tell a professional that the data from a particular treatment should not go into the record (Art. 11 para. 4 draft EGDG).
• Representation: You can appoint a representative.
• Deletion: You can destroy data or close the entire record.

Under the bill, the Confederation is responsible for data protection and security, and the data remain in Switzerland. The EPR already works this way today: professionals only see what you give them rights to, and every access is logged (Art. 9 and 10 EPDG).

The criticism in the debate

In the National Council, a minority from the SVP proposed not to enter into the bill. It pointed to unclear costs, called for express consent instead of an opt-out and doubted that older people or people with language difficulties would actually be able to use the right to object. It also argued that a central collection of the whole population’s health data would be a target for cyberattacks. Supporters spoke of a necessary fresh start after the little-used EPR. The committee is having end-to-end encryption examined in more depth. We report the positions without judging them.

What role your health insurer plays

The E-HR is not a service of your health insurer. Opening, information and contact points lie with the cantons and communities, and the information system with the Confederation. The bill gives access to the record data to health professionals and healthcare institutions in the context of treatment, and only with your consent (Art. 13 draft EGDG). Under the bill, health insurers get access to the directory of connected hospitals and birth centres in order to check their obligation to connect.

Basic health insurance is nevertheless affected: under the KVG, the obligation to connect would become a requirement for physicians, pharmacies, physiotherapists and other outpatient service providers to bill through basic health insurance. Today, the health insurance card can serve as a means of identification for the EPR (Art. 42a para. 2bis of the Federal Health Insurance Act, KVG); the bill repeals this provision and leaves the means of authentication to the Federal Council (Art. 10 draft EGDG).

You will find key figures, reserves and contact details for the insurers in the health insurer profiles.

What benefits are expected

According to the Federal Council, consultation reports, hospital discharge reports and structured information such as vaccinations, medicines or laboratory values are to be kept in one place in the E-HR. Thanks to binding technical standards, hospital and practice systems are to upload the data automatically. Less duplication, a better flow of information between professionals and a clearer overview for you, including in emergencies, are expected. Whether these expectations will be met cannot be quantified today; the bill provides for an evaluation (Art. 35 draft EGDG).

Closely related is the e-prescription: a revision of the Therapeutic Products Act (business 25.074) is to make electronic prescriptions mandatory. It is a separate item of business and independent of the E-HR.

Special cases: children, newcomers, cross-border commuters

• Children: Until their 14th birthday, parents exercise all rights as legal representatives. From 14, children can exercise their rights themselves; the canton informs them of this. Parents keep joint rights until the child comes of age, unless the child withdraws them (Art. 12 draft EGDG).
• Moving here and birth: People who move to Switzerland or are born here receive the information within 30 days, after which the deadline for objecting begins.
• Without residence in Switzerland: Automatic opening is linked to residence or habitual abode in a canton. Cross-border commuters therefore do not receive a record automatically; opening one voluntarily requires an AHV number and proof of identity.
• Existing EPR: The Confederation intends to migrate existing records once the law has been passed. Your EPR remains usable until the E-HR is launched.
• Military: Military health professionals only record data with your express consent (Art. 14 para. 2 draft EGDG).

Common mistakes

• Thinking the E-HR has been decided. As of 25.09.2026, only the National Council has approved it. The EPR legislation, with voluntary opening, still applies.
• Confusing opt-out with obligation. The bill opens the record automatically, but you do not have to use it: objecting and closing remain possible.
• Assuming your insurer can read along. Under the bill, the record data are intended for professionals with your consent, not for your health insurer.
• Overlooking emergency access. If you do not want anyone to view your record without authorisation in an emergency, you must actively exclude this access.

The topic area Understanding basic insurance explains other reforms of basic health insurance. The article Single health insurance fund and public health insurer describes the debate on a single fund, and the article Emergency fee the planned fee for hospital emergency departments. You can compare the 2026 premiums in your municipality in the premium calculator, and the rules of the GP, HMO and telemedicine models on the page Insurance models. How we review content is explained under Editorial team.