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

The National Health Insurance House (CNAS) has issued a public apology following a blunder on the eSănătateaMea portal, a platform recently launched by the Government. In the section dedicated to people with disabilities, the system displayed the label "Insured. Handicapped", which users found offensive.

CNAS representatives explained that this was a technical display error, not a deliberate choice of language. In an official statement, the institution said: "We regret this situation and apologise to all those affected by the wording displayed. Communication from public institutions, including through digital platforms, must uphold the dignity of all social groups and must not cause offence to any individual or social category."

CNAS stated that it has ordered the text to be corrected as a matter of urgency, so that the information on the portal uses appropriate language when referring to people with disabilities. The institution stressed that the incident has no bearing whatsoever on users' insured status, their rights, or their access to healthcare services: "This is exclusively a technical error that occurred in the display of the category name within the portal's interface."

The platform is still under development

CNAS noted that eSănătateaMea is "a new project" undergoing "a continuous process of improvement" and encouraged users to test the portal's features and submit feedback: "Every report we receive from users is important 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."

User accounts on the platform include statuses such as "insured", "uninsured", and "insurance status". According to CNAS, individuals classified as having a degree of disability are automatically entitled to health insurance without having to pay contributions.