Forceful policy for linking my number card and health insulance card

From December 2024, new health insurance cards will no longer be issued, and the integration of My Number cards and health insurance cards will proceed.

A public opinion poll conducted by the Mainichi Shimbun in July 2024 showed that more than 50% were opposed to the transition to My Number health insurance cards.

Why is the government forcing the transition to My Number health insurance cards when more than half of the public is opposed to it?

One of the reasons is that the spread of My Number cards is not progressing as expected.

As of February 2024, the ownership rate of My Number cards is about 73%, which means that one in four people do not have a My Number card, and this is unacceptable for Japanese government..

It is very convenient for the government to be able to manage each citizen with My Number.

Originally, it seems that the purpose was to accurately grasp the assets of each and every citizen, but since My Number cards are not spreading as expected, it seems that they are trying to quickly promote the spread of My Number cards in exchange for the important health insurance cards that protect the lives of citizens.

However, this would mean that not only would citizens’ assets but also their health information would be held in government hands.
Is that really the best thing?

The My Number card was originally conceived to keep track of personal assets, but because widespread adoption of the card has not been widespread, it has now been linked to health insurance cards, which have a completely different purpose, placing a heavy burden on citizens.
It also means that the government can freely use people’s health information.
We are now in an age where all of our information is linked together through our My Number, and anyone who wants to can easily access that information by simply punching in their My Number into a terminal.