With the launch of the use of “My Number” (individual number) cards as health insurance certificates, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies (hereinafter, “medical facilities”) are beginning to use My Number cards to check health insurance status of their patients (Online status check). This article looks into common trouble of online status check and how to deal with the problems.
[1] Display on the status check terminal
At medical facilities, online status check can be done by placing a My Number card on or over a special terminal, but in some cases, the display shows, “invalid” or “no information,” even though the person has valid coverage as an insured person or a dependent family member of an insured person.
There are several reasons for this trouble. In some cases, for example, a person has changed jobs and completed application to transfer insurance status to the new company, but the data have not been registered in the system at the time of online status check.
[2] Procedure when status check has failed
If a status check has failed, the insured person has to pay the full amount of medical expense at the facility and claim refund of the amount after deducting the figure the person incurs to the insurer. However, this causes a great financial burden to insured persons or their dependent families, even though temporarily. As a solution, the authorities have proposed specific measures in the case online status check has failed.
If the status check failed because of a problem in the medical facility’s terminal, patients can access the Myna portal website with their smartphones and show the screen of their status to the facility. If they carry a conventional health insurance card, they can use it as a certificate.
If such measures are not available, facilities may ask patients to fill out “the insurance status declaration form” with the same information as in the My Number card database, including the name, birth date, contact information, the name of the insurer, etc. By submitting the declaration form, patients do not have to pay more than the amount they incur. Most medical facilities have such forms. In some cases, verbal declaration may be sufficient.
[3] Company actions
If employees’ information is registered swiftly after the application of insurance enrollment, such problems should not occur, but in the meantime, companies are advised to make an announcement to their employees as follows:
-There are cases where online status check fails, with the terminal showing “invalid status” or “no information,” due to data registration issues.
-Online status check may be unavailable, due to hardware problems at the medical facility.
-Even if online status check is unavailable, you may be exempted from paying more than the amount you incur by submitting “the insurance status declaration form,” or a similar document.
-Until the system to inform insured persons about the status of data registration is established, those who use My Number card for the first time at a medical facility or have received a new health insurance card after changing jobs should carry their health insurance card along with My Number card, just in case.
Various problems are likely to emerge until the use of My Number card gets on the right track. Companies should gather latest information and provide their employees with necessary support.
[Reference]
Labour Ministry, “Introduction of online status check (for medical facilities, pharmacies and system venders)
