Japan ends health insurance cards, shifts eligibility to national ID system

As of the end of October, 87.3 million people had registered their My Number card for use as a health insurance card, representing 88% of all My Number holders, ministry figures show. However, only 37.1% of cardholders had actually used their My Number card in a health insurance context, indicating that practical adoption lags behind registration. For insurers, intermediaries, and health providers, these usage patterns will be relevant in assessing the impact on claims processes, eligibility checks, and the integration of medical data within the My Number framework.