Japan’s My Number ID officially replaces health insurance cards

The issuance of health insurance cards in Japan has now been officially discontinued in favor of the 12-digit My Number ID whose adoption the government has been trying to push in the last year.

Instead of issuing the health insurance cards, authorities say the information of health insurance beneficiaries will henceforth be integrated with their My Number ID for the same purpose, writes The Mainichi.

There has been a pushback against a government drive to replace health insurance cards with My Number digital ID after its launch in 2016, with citizens raising concerns over a number of issues including data and system glitches, privacy fears, and public distrust. This is had led to some users voluntarily returning their My Number ID cards in frustration.

Now, the government says only the My Number ID with integrated data will be used by health insurance beneficiaries, citing the pursuit of its digital transformation agenda in the medical domain.

While no new health insurance cards will be issued, officials say existing ones will still be accepted at hospitals and other health facilities, but only for a period of one year with December 1, 2025 as deadline.

Per the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, over 77 million health insurance beneficiaries had registered for My Number ID as of October, thanks partly to a government move to incentivize its use. However, only 15 percent of patients reportedly used it for health insurance purposes during that month, according to Nippon.

Officials have explained that all those who do not have the My Number ID will but are eligible for insured care will be issued a certificate to be used in its place until they obtain the My Number ID.

Despite the increasing use cases for it, including for entertainment ticketing, the My Number ID card remains optional.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  healthcare  |  Japan  |  medical insurance  |  My Number  |  patient identification