Health insurance cards

Handling of health insurance cards

Altering/Defacing the health insurance card itself to change any of the information shown there (other than the address space) or transferring or loaning the card to another person is prohibited. Store your health insurance card carefully; it is an important form of personal identification. Remember to bring it back with you after visiting the hospital.

Promptly notify the Health Insurance Society if you lose your health insurance card or there is any change in the information shown on the card.

Reference link

• If you lose your health insurance card

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• Marriage (name change)

If your Individual Number Card is lost or stolen

If your Individual Number Card is lost or stolen, call the Individual Number comprehensive toll-free number to take the procedures to terminate the functionality of your Individual Number Card.
Also file a lost/stolen property report with the police and note down the reception number. Then, complete the procedures at the municipal office of your area to have your Individual Number Card reissued.

Reference link

• Individual Number Card general information site: Lost and found (Click on "If you lose your card" on the English page.)

Individual Number Card expiration dates

Note the expiration date of your Individual Number Card and that of the electronic certificate uploaded on the Individual Number Card (used when using your Individual Number Card as a health insurance card).
Your Individual Number Card will expire on the tenth birthday after the date the card was issued. The electronic certificate will expire on the fifth birthday after the date of issue.

• * An expiration notice will be sent to the person in question two or three months before the expiration date. Renewal is free of charge.

Eligibility verification certificate, notice of eligibility information

Even if your eligibility cannot be verified using a Myna health insurance card, you can still get medical care covered by health insurance using either of the following forms:

Eligibility verification certificate

Those who do not have an Individual Number Card or who have not registered their Individual Number Card for use as a health insurance card can use this form to get medical care at medical care institutions and other facilities.

Notice of eligibility information

This form, which makes it easy to check member codes/numbers and other information, is sent to all members in principle.
Note that you cannot get medical care covered by health insurance using just a notice of eligibility information. You can get medical care covered by health insurance by presenting this form together with your Myna health insurance card, in cases such as when visiting a medical care institution that is not required to adopt the online eligibility verification system.

To enable smooth verification of eligibility using a Myna health insurance card to get medical care

To avoid cases of visiting a medical care institution or other facility and presenting a Myna health insurance card before data has been registered by the Health Insurance Society, please note the following points when applying for eligibility as an insured person or dependent.

• You can use your Individual Number Card to get medical care only after the Health Insurance Society receives a notification of eligibility (or, for dependents, a notification of dependents; “Notification of Eligibility, etc.” hereinafter) that indicates the correct Individual Number, name, date of birth, gender, and address (“Individual Number, etc.” hereinafter) and the Society completes data registration. (You cannot use your Individual Number Card to get medical care until data registration is complete.)
• If the Notification of Eligibility, etc. indicates the correct Individual Number, etc., data registration will typically be completed within five days after the Notification of Eligibility, etc. is submitted to the Health Insurance Society.
• Check the following points in cases in which the correct Individual Number is not shown on a document submitted by the member in relation to certification of eligibility.
  • The Notification of Eligibility, etc. is required by law to indicate the Individual Number and the Individual Number is necessary for data registration.
  • It may take some time for data registration to be completed.
  • You cannot use your Individual Number Card as a Myna health insurance card until data registration is complete.
  Employers are asked to submit Individual Numbers promptly to speed the data registration process. Note the following:
  • The Notification of Eligibility, etc. is required by law to indicate the Individual Number.
  • If the employer fails to promptly submit the Individual Number, the Health Insurance Society will need the number of days specified by the Health Insurance Society to complete the data registration (the standard processing period in cases other than when the Individual Number cannot be obtained from J-LIS).
  • You cannot use your Myna health insurance card until data registration is complete.
• Before using your Individual Number Card to get medical care for the first time after a change in your eligibility status, access Mynaportal and check to confirm that your health insurance card information reflects the change in eligibility.

After discontinuation of health insurance cards, a notice of eligibility information will be sent after the Health Insurance Society completes the data registration process. You can use your Myna health insurance card once you receive this notice of eligibility information.

Indicating whether you intend to be an organ donor

As a result of amendment of the Law on Organ Transplantation, a space for indicating whether you wish to be an organ donor has been added to the reverse side of the health insurance card. See the website of the Japan Organ Transplant Network for more information on organ donation.

Elderly benefits cards

Since the percentage of medical care costs paid by elderly persons aged 70-74 to medical care institutions varies with income, these persons are issued "elderly benefits cards" showing their copayment percentages. When receiving medical care at a medical care institution, show your "elderly benefits card" together with your health insurance card.

Note that an elderly benefits card is not required when using a Myna health insurance card. Use your Myna health insurance card alone.

Reference link

• If you become sick or are injured

Reference link

• Measures for reducing cost burdens for persons aged 70-74

Online verification of eligibility

Online verification of eligibility has been introduced, making it possible to verify eligibility information online using the Individual Number Card, etc. You can use your Individual Number Card as a health insurance card at medical care institutions and other facilities that have adopted the online eligibility verification system. (Requires advance registration on Mynaportal etc.)
See here for more information.

Reference link

• You can use your Individual Number Card as a health insurance card

If online verification of eligibility fails using the Individual Number Card

If online verification of eligibility fails using the Individual Number Card for any reason (e.g., indication of "Eligibility (invalid)" or "No eligibility information" or defective device), eligibility can be verified by the following methods:

• Presenting your health insurance card
• Presenting the eligibility information screen of Mynaportal (including downloaded image file) on a smartphone or other device
• Verbal confirmation that there has been no change in the eligibility status from your medical history (if all information that should be shown on the Notification of Eligibility as Insured Person can be checked)
• Submitting a Notification of Eligibility as Insured Person

The online eligibility verification system brings some changes to health insurance cards

With the introduction of the online eligibility verification system, a two-digit branch number has been added to the code and number on each health insurance card to allow individual identification.
All newly issued health insurance cards indicate a branch number in addition to the code and number. Note that health insurance cards without branch numbers will still be accepted.