EESSI: Health & Social Security Coverage Across The EU

As Europe continues to embrace digital transformation and enhance citizens’ mobility rights, the European System for Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) emerges as a groundbreaking tool for streamlining health coverage and social security coordination across EU member states and associated countries.

EESSI is an advanced electronic system designed to facilitate seamless communication between Social Security Institutions throughout the European Union, the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. It replaces the traditional paper-based exchange of social security data with a fully digital process, enabling faster, more secure, and standardized information sharing.

Developed by the European Commission, EESSI incorporates several key technological components including the Central Service Node (CSN), the Institutional Repository (IR), and the Access Points (APs) software. Additionally, the Reference Implementation for a National Application (RINA) allows end users easy access to the system. This infrastructure ensures the smooth operation of the system 24/7 at a central level.

Implemented in collaboration with national institutions such as e-EFKA (the Greek Social Security Institution), EESSI connects thousands of social security bodies across Europe to coordinate processes ranging from pensions and sickness benefits to accident insurance and unemployment subsidies.

By 2023, projects integrating national systems with EESSI—such as the connection of Greece’s e-EFKA to the European system—were completed, including the installation of the necessary software and cloud-based connectivity solutions.

• Faster, more efficient claims processing: The electronic exchange eliminates lengthy postal delays, enabling rapid data sharing and timely decision-making.
• Improved data security and accuracy: By operating under a unified security framework, EESSI ensures confidentiality and reduces fraud, such as the use of forged documents.
• Standardization across borders: EESSI harmonizes communication protocols among diverse social security institutions, facilitating smoother cooperation.
• Enhanced support for mobile citizens: EU citizens, pensioners, and workers can move freely across member states, assured that their social security rights will be recognized and efficiently managed.
• Digital transformation: The integration with national systems like e-EFKA advances the digitization goals of social security administrations.

EESSI serves a broad range of stakeholders, including:

• Approximately 15,000 Social Security Institutions across the EU, EEA countries, Switzerland, and the UK, now interconnected.
• Citizens of EU member states, third-country nationals legally residing in these countries, and their family members.

These groups benefit from seamless access to their social security rights wherever they move within the EU, including health coverage, pensions, unemployment benefits, family allowances, maternity/paternity benefits, and more.

EESSI covers all social security branches regulated under EU coordination rules, such as:

• Accidents at work and occupational diseases
• Sickness benefits
• Pensions
• Unemployment and family subsidies
• Collection and recovery of insurance debts
• Legislation applicable to social security cases

This comprehensive coverage ensures citizens’ social security claims are processed holistically and efficiently.

In addition to social security institutions, organizations like Greece’s Public Employment Service (DYPA) benefit from EESSI. Their subsidy requests are processed more quickly and directly, enhancing employment support services through digital interconnectivity.

EESSI complies fully with European regulations on the coordination of social security systems, safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive personal data exchanged among institutions. This guarantees that the system protects citizens’ privacy while improving administrative efficiency.