Doctors and other individuals in Japan have filed a lawsuit against the government to challenge a law that will require people to use the national digital ID My Number instead of health insurance cards to access medical care.
274 individuals are included as plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed by the Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association.
The lawsuit argues that the government should amend the Health Insurance Act before replacing health insurance cards with My Number.
Instead of amending the act, the Japanese government amended a ministerial ordinance, which is in violation of Article 41 of the Japanese constitution that states only the national legislature can make such an amendment, according to the lawsuit.
The plaintiffs also argue the new digital ID system will be expensive to deploy. They claim that installing the system will cost about 700,000 yen (approximately $5,190) per clinic.
“If elderly doctors who know their community well close their doors, local medical care will deteriorate,” said TMPA head Akio Suda. “What the government is doing is destroying medical care.”
The lawsuit seeks 100,000 yen (approximately $740) per plaintiff as compensation for the violation of their freedom to provide medical care.
Suda also wants other medical associations to join the lawsuit.
