Hospitals

Standard Procedure at a Hospital
(1) At the reception desk, show your health insurance certificate, explain your medical problem and specify which department you want to see to receive treatment.
(2) After registering you will be given a hospital registration card. Give this card to the departmental receptionist. Normally, you have to wait in the area in front of the reception desk or close-by for your name to be called.
(3) Once your name is called, go in to see the doctor and receive treatment.
(4) After treatment, pay the appropriate fee in cash at the cashier's counter.
(5) If the doctor prescribes medication, go to the pharmacy to receive your medicine. Most hospitals in Japan have their own pharmacy on the premises. In this case, after you pick up your medication you can pay for the exam and prescription at the same time. However, in recent years, many pharmacies and hospitals have become separate. In such cases, patients must go to an outside pharmacy to receive their medication. Ask a doctor or nurse which arrangement your hospital has.

Hospitalization
(1) If you are hospitalized for testing and/or treatment, you may have to pay a security deposit or appoint a guarantor for payment.
(2) Depending on the type of room, your health insurance may not cover room charges, such as private rooms. Therefore, you have to tell the hospital what kind of room you would like.
(3) You also need to bring your own pajamas, washing utensils, tissue paper, coffee cups, a knife and fork, change of clothes, slippers, and other personal items.

Health Insurance Program

Japan's National Health Insurance Program
Japan's public medical insurance system is divided into two main programs, health insurance from your employer (employees' health insurance) and the National Health Insurance Program administered by municipal offices. All registered residents in Japan are required to join one of the two programs.

What is employees' health insurance (also called company insurance or social health insurance)?
Company employees and their families must enroll in this insurance program.
Enrollment is handled through the work place by company personnel who deal with insurance matters.
Premiums are based on income and paid on a monthly basis, with the employer and employee sharing the cost evenly.
Policyholders pay 30% of costs incurred for medical treatment for themselves. The remaining 70% is paid by company insurance.

National Health Insurance
Designed for those who are not covered by employees' health insurance. Such as the self-employed. Municipal offices administer this insurance program.
All Minato City residents who are not covered by other public medical insurance programs and are not receiving public welfare benefits must join the National Health Insurance Program.
Foreigners are eligible to join this program if they have completed foreign resident registration and obtained residence status. Those whose visa is less than one year are eligible to join if they have a certificate proving their intention to stay for one year or longer. It is not possible to join simply because one wants to (nor is it possible to join with a short-stay visa). Apply at the National Health Insurance and Pension Section of Minato City Hall.
After you have been enrolled in the program, you will be issued a health insurance certificate by the city and will have to pay premiums. The certificate is a very important official document which proves that you and your dependents (if any) are insured.
When you need to receive medical examinations and/or treatment at medical institutions, be sure to bring the certificate with you. If you do not have the certificate, you will have to pay the entire medical cost yourself.
Premiums are calculated on the basis of the previous fiscal year's income, amount of tax paid and number of dependents, so the amount will increase when a new member is added to the family.
The medical expenses individuals must pay vary according to age. Members below three years of age must pay 20% of their total medical fees, while those aged between 3 and 69 must pay 30% of their medical fees. Members who are 70 years or older pay either 10% or 20%, depending on their income. In all cases, the balance is covered by the National Health Insurance.
In addition to covering medical expenses, a lump-sum childbirth allowance is paid when a member of the National Health Insurance Program gives birth, and a funeral allowance is paid to the person responsible for funeral arrangements upon the death of a member.

Do Medical Expenses Differ Depending on the Hospital?
All medical facilities accepting employees' health insurance and National Heath Insurance (meaning most medical institutions in Japan) charge approximately the same fee for the same medical treatment, whether one receives medical care at a national hospital, a private university hospital, a community hospital or a clinic.
However, some hospitals charge fees that exceed the full cost of services for those without employees' health insurance or National Health Insurance.