Tokyo: The Japanese government is considering abolishing in principle the current health insurance card system around autumn 2024 by integrating it into the My Number social security and taxation identification card system, informed sources have said.

The move comes as the government aims to accelerate the spread of the use of My Number cards amid a sluggish pace of increase in card issuance.

Digital minister Taro Kono is expected to make an announcement on the matter as early as Thursday.

In October 2021, the government started full-scale operations allowing the use of My Number cards as health insurance certificates.

My Number card holders can now easily undergo an identification process with devices installed at medical institutions and pharmacies and view their prescription records on a dedicated website.

Still, only some 30 pct of medical institutions currently accept My Number cards as health insurance cards. Starting in April 2023, the government plans to oblige medical institutions and pharmacies throughout the country to have related systems.

The government aims for almost all citizens to obtain My Number cards by March 2023, but the My Number card possession rate stood at only 49 pct as of the end of September, despite such efforts as a campaign to provide reward points to those who register My Number cards as their health insurance cards.

The government’s basic economic and fiscal policy guidelines adopted in June call for scrapping health insurance cards in principle.

By specifying the deadline, the government hopes to accelerate the use of the new system.

Following the abolishment of health insurance cards, My Number cards will be basically used for reception procedures at medical institutions.

How to deal with people who have no intention to obtain My Number cards even after the abolition remains a challenge.

JIJI Press