CNAS Apologises After the eSănătateaMea Platform Displayed the Term "Handicapped"

The National Health Insurance House (CNAS) has issued a public apology after the new government platform eSănătateaMea displayed the category for people with disabilities labelled as "Insured. Handicapped". The institution maintains that this was a technical display error, which it described as "regrettable wording".

In an official statement, CNAS said: "We regret this situation and apologise to all those affected by the wording displayed. Communication from public institutions, including through digital platforms, must respect the dignity of all social groups and must not cause offence to any person or social category. We have ordered the urgent correction of this wording, so that the information presented to portal users employs language that is appropriate and respectful towards people with disabilities."

The institution stressed that the issue has no bearing on the rights of those concerned: "We wish to emphasise that this situation does not in any way affect insured status, the rights of the individuals in question, or their access to healthcare services. It is solely a technical error that occurred in the display of the category name within the portal interface."

A platform still under development

CNAS explained that eSănătateaMea is a recently launched project that integrates a large volume of data at national level and is subject to an ongoing improvement process. The institution is encouraging users to register on the portal in order to test its features and submit feedback: "Every report we receive from users is valuable and helps us to quickly resolve identified issues. The digitalisation of the healthcare system must mean not only better technology, but also greater respect for every patient."

Within user accounts on the platform, a person's status is indicated through the categories "insured" or "uninsured", alongside a "insurance status" section. CNAS reminds users that individuals recognised as having a degree of disability are automatically entitled to health insurance, with no contribution required.