Wrong Out-of-Pocket Rates Shown to Patients in 5,695 Cases in Japan

From Jiji

September 29 2023

TOKYO – Japan’s health ministry has confirmed 5,695 cases where users of My Number social security and taxation identification cards were presented with wrong rates of out-of-pocket expenses at medical institutions. 

Those who were shown wrong rates were using My Number cards with health insurance certificate functions at medical institutions. The ministry will take measures to prevent such errors.

In the first such disclosure, the ministry reported Friday the number of such mistakes to a meeting of the Social Security Council, an advisory panel to the health minister.

The ministry discovered the number of such cases from its survey of all health insurance providers, such as health insurance associations, conducted between July and September.

Of the 5,695 cases, 4,017 were caused by incorrect administrative procedures, such as entering a wrong out-of-pocket rate to a system. Problems with the system setting was the cause for 1,678 cases.