The introduction of digital sick notes aims to make the exchange of information between doctors, employers, insured individuals, and the National Health Fund (CNS) more efficient.
Gilles Kremer, head of the sickness and maternity benefit department at the CNS, explains that in the new system the doctor issues the sick note electronically, and the patient receives a notification via the health app or MyGuichet that the certificate is available. From there, the patient can send the note to the CNS, if they are insured there, or to their employer, provided the employer is connected to the system.
Insured individuals can also set up automatic forwarding of sick notes to the CNS via MyGuichet or the health app. However, the employee must still manually send the certificate to an employer.
The system goes beyond just sick notes. It also covers maternity leave certificates and certificates required for family-related leave, streamlining a wider range of administrative processes.
The CNS has been able to receive digital sick notes since 5 January. In August, 2,000 electronic certificates were processed, but by October this figure had already risen to 6,350. For November, the CNS expects around 10,000 electronic sick notes to be issued, which would represent 20% of all potential digital certificates received by the fund.
Cross-border workers who visit a doctor in Luxembourg can also benefit from this system. However, electronic certificates are not available for those who visit doctors in their country of residence.
Currently, around 350 doctors in Luxembourg are using the digital sick note system, which, according to the CNS, accounts for nearly half of all practitioners who regularly issue certificates.
Digital security and data protection are top priorities. Kremer notes that authentication for patients must be carried out via LuxTrust, ensuring that sensitive health data remains secure. There is an additional safeguard for employers: a GouvCheck code is included on employer copies, allowing them to verify the authenticity of a received certificate at any time, even if it is provided on paper.
Dr Sébastien Diederich, a general practitioner in Schifflange and secretary general of the Luxembourg Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD), has been using the system since May.
He told RTL that he is convinced by this new initiative because it is simpler, quicker, and not everything has to be handwritten. The new system also benefits patients, as they now have proof of their certificate, so if something goes missing at the CNS, they have evidence and can decide how to proceed.
For doctors, the transition required some logistical adjustments, which is why not everyone could adopt the system immediately. From next year, doctors will be required to submit sick notes electronically, but patients and employers can still request and provide paper certificates if needed.
