Health insurance cards to be abolished in autumn 2024

thomas · 16 Oct 2022

Kono Taro is at it again: Japan plans to phase out the current health insurance card system in autumn 2024 and combine it into the My Number identity card. The My Number card is a digital identity card for Japanese citizens and residents. Introduced in 2016, the government started full-scale use as health insurance certificates in October 2021, but only 20 per cent of the population have registered.

The government is considering reviewing the procedures and forms of My Number cards to ensure all residents obtain them before abolishing the current health insurance cards, according to Kono. The government aims to have almost all citizens obtain My Number cards by the end of March 2023, but the issuance rate still stood at only 49 per cent as of September. In principle, the focus is whether the government can further spread My Number cards before the abolition of health insurance cards. Since having a My Number card is not mandatory, the government's explanations and public understanding will be essential. The government plans to incorporate the driver's license function into the My Number card by March 2025. Kono said the government is considering moving up the schedule. Officials are not planning to abolish the existing driver's licenses.

Japan plans to abolish health insurance cards in fall 2024 | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

mdchachi · 16 Oct 2022

thomas said:
digital identity card for Japanese citizens and residents.

It's not possible for a Japanese citizen to get one unless they live in Japan, right? My wife says she can't cash out some stock certificates without it. I guess she needs to open up some kind of account to do so. She's going to Japan soon and I guess she could get one if she says she's a resident but she thinks that she'd have to pay for insurance or social security or something if she did the My Number thing.

thomas · 16 Oct 2022

mdchachi said:
It's not possible for a Japanese citizen to get one unless they live in Japan, right? My wife says she can't cash out some stock certificates without it. I guess she needs to open up some kind of account to do so. She's going to Japan soon and I guess she could get one if she says she's a resident but she thinks that she'd have to pay for insurance or social security or something if she did the My Number thing.

Does she have a residential record at any Japanese municipality? I assume there must be some other way for foreign residents to cash stock certificates.

mdchachi · 17 Oct 2022

thomas said:
Does she have a residential record at any Japanese municipality? I assume there must be some other way for foreign residents to cash stock certificates.

I'm not that familiar with how 住民票 works but if she has a record it would be an old dormant one.

Petaris · 17 Oct 2022

mdchachi said:
I'm not that familiar with how 住民票 works but if she has a record it would be an old dormant one.

I think she needs to be registered as actually living in Japan, and thus paying taxes/etc., for it to be active. I'm just going off of info from my wife and there could be some loss in translation though. Still, there must be some way?

Eigo · 18 Oct 2022

mdchachi said:
It's not possible for a Japanese citizen to get one unless they live in Japan, right? My wife says she can't cash out some stock certificates without it. I guess she needs to open up some kind of account to do so. She's going to Japan soon and I guess she could get one if she says she's a resident but she thinks that she'd have to pay for insurance or social security or something if she did the My Number thing.

I think enrolment without actually paying in is sufficient. I believe even tourists may enrol in health insurance. You can get an enrolment card and get on the system the same day but...I think you'd need to be in Japan.

mdchachi · 18 Oct 2022

Thanks. If she figures something out I'll report back here for posterity.

Health insurance cards to be abolished in autumn 2024

thomas

Unswerving cyclist

mdchachi

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thomas

Unswerving cyclist

mdchachi

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Petaris

Sailing away...

Eigo

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mdchachi

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