🏥 Typhoon No. 25: See a Doctor Without Your Health Card

❓ What's changing?

On September 24, 2026, the Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo) issued guidance for insured members affected by the Typhoon No. 25 disaster. If you lost your My Number health card or eligibility confirmation document (together, "My Number health card, etc."), or evacuated leaving it at home, you can still receive treatment by telling the hospital or clinic counter four things: (1) your full name, (2) date of birth, (3) contact details such as a phone number, and (4) the name of your employer. Normally, eligibility must be confirmed at the counter. Without it, you pay the full medical bill yourself and later apply for reimbursement (ryoyohi). In a disaster many people cannot take their card with them, and that upfront payment can stop people from seeing a doctor at all. This measure removes that step: a verbal statement is enough to be treated as insured. It applies to people affected in municipalities where the Disaster Relief Act has been invoked. The list of covered municipalities is published by the Cabinet Office on its "application status of the Disaster Relief Act" page.

👥 Who is affected?

• ●Kyokai Kenpo members affected in municipalities covered by the Disaster Relief Act
• ●Dependents covered under that member's insurance
• ●Anyone who lost their My Number health card, etc., or left it behind when evacuating
• ●Foreign workers and trainees in the affected area who are enrolled in their employer's health insurance

🌏 Impact on foreign residents

Not being able to grab your wallet or documents while evacuating, or not being able to get back into a damaged home, is stressful for anyone—and harder still if you are not confident communicating in Japanese. If you do not know about this measure and the counter explains that you must pay the full amount, you may end up fronting a large sum or skipping care entirely. Kyokai Kenpo lists only four items to state. Write your name (in Roman letters and Japanese), date of birth, phone number, and employer's name on paper or in your phone's notes, and you can simply show it when speaking is difficult. Keep your employer's official name handy in advance. If you have run out of medication for a chronic condition, contact a medical institution rather than going without because of cost worries.