Japan passes law to integrate health insurance cards with My Number system
TOKYO Kyodo - Japan's parliament on Friday enacted a law to scrap health insurance cards and incorporate them into the My Number national identification cards, effectively making it mandatory for all residents to obtain the ID cards despite a series of cases involving the mishandling of personal data.
The government is planning to complete the integration by the fall of next year despite increasing concerns about the security of personal data retaining under the My Number system. There are reports of thousands of health insurance data being erroneously registered and exposed.
The move would require all residents of Japan to obtain a My Number ID card to cover all medical expenses, such as those covered by Japan's health insurance system. The House of Representatives approved the bill on Friday, which was already cleared by the House of Representatives.
When the health insurance cards are integrated, people are required to present their My Number card at hospitals to cover medical expenses covered by national insurance.
The government says certificates will be issued to those who don't possess My Number cards, but they would need to be renewed every year. People without a My Number card will be charged more for the treatment than without a My Number card.
The My Number ID card system, which was launched in 2016 and involves a 12-digit number that is used to link personal data such as taxes and social security, to a citizen and a foreign resident of Japan.
The government proposed the system as part of efforts to drive the nation's digital transformation, claiming it would enhance convenience by enabling various procedures to be completed electronically.
Holders of the cards can issue certificates of residence, required for some administrative procedures, at convenience stores without going to municipal offices.
By March 2025, the government will incorporate driver's licenses into the system.
The My Number card is already used as a health insurance card, allowing people to use it as a health insurance card. Medical institutions can access the system through the owner's consent, which allows them to collect information on drugs prescribed to them in the past.
Doctors can also view data from such checkups, which cardholders have undergone health checkups specifically targeting lifestyle diseases.
Under the enacted law, the use of My Number cards would be expanded to include services related to social security, tax and disaster response.
The government expects the My Number system to speed up clerical work to provide various subsidies for residents, including child benefits by linking their bank accounts to it.
The law enables the state to retain personal bank account information under the My Number system if a cardholder denies the government access.
To encourage residents to obtain their ID card, the law also allows post offices to conduct the registration process for people requesting their card, in addition to local government offices.
For infants younger than 1 year of age, their parents are no longer required to register a facial photo in obtaining the card, while those who live abroad can receive the cards at Japanese diplomatic offices.
Among the mishaps related to the My Number system, users received copies of other residents' residence certificates at convenience stores.
As of Wednesday, 91.19 million people, or 72.4 percent, of the population have been issued My Number cards, the ministry said.