Digital Agency Launches Pilot Program to Streamline Medical Fee Support for Designated Intractable Diseases
Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2025 – The Digital Agency announced today the commencement of a public call for municipalities to participate in a pilot program aimed at enhancing information sharing for the management of out-of-pocket maximums for medical expenses related to designated intractable diseases. This initiative will leverage the “Public Medical Hub,” an information-sharing system designed to connect local governments and medical institutions.
This pilot program represents a significant step forward in the Digital Agency’s commitment to improving the efficiency and accessibility of social welfare services through digital transformation. By facilitating seamless information exchange between various stakeholders, the project seeks to alleviate the administrative burden on both patients and local government bodies, ultimately ensuring that eligible individuals receive timely and accurate medical expense support.
The Public Medical Hub serves as a foundational infrastructure for inter-organizational information linkage, and this specific pilot program will focus on the critical aspect of managing the self-pay maximums for medical expenses for those suffering from designated intractable diseases. Currently, the process of verifying and managing these maximums can involve a considerable amount of manual data handling and cross-referencing between different entities. This pilot aims to address these inefficiencies.
Participating municipalities will have the opportunity to implement and test the information-sharing mechanisms within the Public Medical Hub to streamline the process of managing the self-pay maximums for designated intractable diseases. This includes the potential for improved accuracy in calculations, faster processing times for applications and renewals, and ultimately, a more convenient experience for patients who rely on these vital support systems.
The Digital Agency is encouraging municipalities that are keen to explore innovative solutions for improving their administrative services and supporting citizens with designated intractable diseases to apply for this pilot program. Further details regarding the application process, eligibility criteria, and the project timeline are available on the Digital Agency’s official website.
This endeavor underscores the Digital Agency’s dedication to leveraging digital technologies to create a more responsive and citizen-centric government. The insights and outcomes gained from this pilot program are expected to inform future nationwide deployments and contribute to the realization of a more integrated and efficient healthcare and social welfare system in Japan.
自治体・医療機関等をつなぐ情報連携システム （Public Medical Hub）における指定難病等の医療費助成の自己負担上限額管理に係る情報連携の実証事業の自治体公募を開始します
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デジタル庁 published ‘自治体・医療機関等をつなぐ情報連携システム （Public Medical Hub）における指定難病等の医療費助成の自己負担上限額管理に係る情報連携の実証事業の自治体公募を開始します’ at 2025-08-01 09:16. Please write a detailed article about this news in a polite tone with relevant information. Please reply in English with the article only.