The Japanese government has stopped issuing new health insurance cards as of Monday. It recommends the use of Individual Number ("My Number" in Japanese) Cards instead for healthcare access.

Conventional health insurance cards will be abolished in autumn 2024 under legislation enacted on June 2. The My Number Card can double as a health insurance card if residents choose to combine ...

The health ministry on Dec. 2 discontinued traditional health insurance cards to integrate their functions into My Number Cards, the new identification cards that have not caught on with the public.

With credit cards that offer primary insurance coverage, you can submit an accident claim right away by calling the number on the back of your card, without first submitting it to a personal policy.

For example, if you have a qualifying American Express card, your claim would be processed through the New Hampshire Insurance Company. You would then need to submit the necessary documents ...

The Mainichi Shimbun answers common questions readers may have about Japan's full-scale transition to the "My Number" health insurance card system allowing My Number ID cards to function as health ...