[2026 April Enforcement] Medical Care Act Revision Establishes New "Online Medical Examination Facilities"; Tablet Rental Service Launched
Anchor Inc. has launched a service to support the setup of "Online Medical Examination Facilities" mandated by the revised Medical Care Act effective April 2026. The service includes lending dedicated tablets, enabling institutions like nursing homes and corporate health offices to quickly establish consultation environments without new hardware investment.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 19:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 9, 2026 at 11:00
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 10:28 (263h 28m after Collected)
Anchor Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Yasuhiro Nakamura; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") has launched a support service for building consultation environments, centered on lending dedicated tablet devices, in response to the "Online Medical Examination Facility" system newly established by the revision of the Medical Care Act, which will be enforced on April 1, 2026. This service is positioned as a "medical consultation platform service" that allows facilities to prepare an online medical consultation environment in as little as a few days, without needing to newly prepare hardware or communication infrastructure on their own. It targets a wide range of establishments, including special nursing homes, day services, and corporate health management offices.
*This service provides the environment (medium) for the establishment operator to receive online medical consultations. The actual medical practice will be conducted by doctors from collaborating medical institutions.
1. What Has Become Newly Possible with the Revision of the Medical Care Act
The revision of the Medical Care Act, promulgated in December 2025, legally established "Online Medical Examination Facilities" from April 1, 2026. This system clearly defines for the first time under the Medical Care Act facilities that provide an environment for receiving online medical consultations at locations other than medical institutions.
Previously, when providing online medical consultations at facilities such as care homes or corporate health management offices, there were inconsistencies in operation due to the lack of explicit legal provisions. With the current revision, a framework has been established where operators can prepare and operate consultation environments with peace of mind under clear rules by notifying the prefectural governor.
2. Key Points of the System
Eligibility Requirements for Establishers: A wide range of legal entities, including for-profit companies, can establish these facilities. There are no requirements for medical personnel to be stationed at the facility.
Notification: Notification to the prefectural governor must be submitted within 10 days of establishment. There is a grace period until March 2027.
Potentially Eligible Facilities: Special nursing homes, day service centers (day services), corporate health management offices, municipal facilities, healthcare booths in commercial complexes, etc.
3. What is Necessary to Utilize the New System
To begin operations as an "Online Medical Examination Facility," the establisher needs to prepare the following: securing a collaborating medical institution, preparing communication infrastructure, arranging tablet devices, ensuring a private consultation space, and preparing/submitting notification documents to the prefectural governor. Preparing all of these independently can be a significant burden for the establisher. Our company provides the "preparation necessary to actually operate the new system" on a one-stop basis.
