Market launch: Scanbot’s health insurance card scanner identifies customers in insurance apps

For digitally established health insurance companies, it is a standard service to scan and transmit health records using their insurance app. The market launch of the new health insurance card scanner from the Bonn-based tech-startup Scanbot / doo GmbH enables the secure handling of sensitive data and pushes the digitalization of the industry.

The Insurance card serves as identity confirmation for apps

The customers open their health insurance app and scan the backside of their health insurance card,
which contains their account info, with the smartphone camera. The scanner reads and prepares the data for further processing using machine learning and OCR technology (optical character recognition). Insurance companies use this new technology primarily to identify customers and additional security. When the customers want to hand-in sensitive documents such as a doctor’s notes or disability certificates, they first have to confirm their identity using a health insurance card. If the information on the insurance card matches the customer database, the user can upload the documents with the insurance company app.

Reaching goals together: Customers support product development

“The health insurance card scanner evolved from customer demand.”, explains Christoph Wagner, CEO of Scanbot / doo GmbH. “We are in close contact with our customers. Several of our partners in the healthcare industry mentioned that they could not find a solution for customer-identification in their health insurance apps. We evaluated the problem, recognized the potential, and developed an additional feature for the Scanbot Software Development Kit (SDK) based on the feedback from our customers.”

A technology toolkit for insurance companies

The health insurance card scanner is part of the Scanbot SDK, a toolkit for app developers, which makes it possible to integrate scanning and data extraction features in apps. Using this technology, health insurance companies can implement scan features in their apps without having to develop the code by themselves. As with all software solutions developed by Scanbot, the health insurance card scanner is entirely GDPR compliant. The data is stored exclusively on the user’s smartphone and does not require a network connection.