TOKYO -- The decision by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to go ahead with scrapping health insurance cards next year followed a month of uncertainty as plummeting approval ratings had spurred calls in his party to push the plan back.
Kishida said Friday that the cards' functionality will be integrated into the newer "My Number" identification cards as scheduled. The My Number system has been plagued by glitches and data leaks in recent months that have weighed on the administration's approval rating.
