Japan on Tuesday officially integrated health insurance card functions into its My Number identification cards, marking a major shift in the country’s healthcare system.
Existing health insurance cards, which expired Monday, can still be used at medical facilities until the end of March to minimize confusion. Patients will continue paying the standard 10 to 30 percent of medical costs. Those without My Number cards can also receive insured care by presenting a certificate of health insurance enrollment.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said the new system allows medical institutions to access patients’ health records and prescription histories more easily.
However, public adoption has faced challenges. Since its launch in 2016, the My Number system has experienced personal information leaks and registration errors, resulting in widespread distrust. Adoption rates remain below 40 percent.
The expired insurance cards included those of about 78 million people enrolled through employers, which stopped being issued last December but remained valid for a one-year grace period. For participants in the National Health Insurance program, which covers the self-employed and unemployed, around 70 percent of cards expired at the end of July, with the remainder expiring Monday.
As of the end of October, 87.3 million My Number cardholders, or 88 percent, had registered their cards for health insurance. Yet, only 37.1 percent have actually used them for medical services. Whether the expiration of old cards will boost adoption remains uncertain.
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