Tender notices are written by each contracting authority, so the wording varies. Some say exactly "please mask the insured symbol and number"; others stop at "handle personal information appropriately". The second kind is where rejections come from, because the clerk ends up deciding the scope.
What each phrase usually means
| Wording in the notice | Usual meaning | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Mask the insured symbol/number | Symbol, number and branch number | The branch number is often printed small, in its own box |
| Mask including the insurer number | The above plus the insurer number (8 or 6 digits) | The 2-D code may carry the same information |
| Submit excluding personal information | The fields covered by the disclosure restriction | Name, date of birth and employer are review fields — removing them can mean the submission is not accepted |
| Submit a plain copy; we will mask it ourselves | No processing needed | Redacting it first can be treated as a defective entry |
Because the fourth row genuinely happens, "cover extra to be safe" is not a safe strategy. Covering too much is a defect; covering too little may touch the disclosure restriction. Both sides are constraints.
A 2-D code gives no hint on paper about what it encodes. When a document carries one and the notice asks for the symbol and number to be masked, there is no way to tell from the outside whether the code holds the same data, so covering it as well is the safer default. Here too the authority's instructions come first.
When you cannot tell
- Search the submission guidelines and the Q&A for "masking", "symbol" and "number"
- Look at the same authority's guidelines for earlier contracts — the wording is usually reused
- If it is still unclear, ask the desk, and keep a record of the answer for next time
Where this comes from
The disclosure-request restriction sits in Article 194-2(1) of the Health Insurance Act and Article 111-2(1) of the National Health Insurance Act, in force since 1 October 2020. It binds the party that *asks* for an insurer number or insured symbol/number for purposes outside health-insurance business and related administration; it does not decide, in one line, what a submitter should cover. That is why the authority's own wording is what you end up reading.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, "医療保険の被保険者等記号・番号等の告知要求制限について" https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_13989.html (Confirmed: 2026-10-25)
Always check the recipient's own instructions.
SafeFile detects the document type and shows, per submission purpose, which fields it covers automatically and which it keeps visible. Where the authority's instruction differs, each field can be switched individually.
Pick a submission purpose and see which fields each document needs covered