In Japan, healthcare is both universal and inexpensive. Every Japanese citizen and non-Japanese citizen who stays in Japan for more than a year is entitled to healthcare. Japan’s healthcare system is uniform and inclusive, with equal health treatment accessible regardless of one’s income. Whether you are fresh graduate with a family medicine certification in Malaysia or regardless of profession, let’s take a look and note about healthcare in Japan. Here are five facts about Japanese healthcare.
1. Everyone owns and is covered by Health Insurance
Everyone is covered by health insurance. Japan’s universal health insurance, established in 1961, sought to provide people with equal access to “necessary and adequate” medical care at low cost. Medical care in Japan is both affordable and accessible to everyone, which are two key characteristics. Citizens may be covered by social insurance if they work for a corporation, or by national medical insurance if they are self-employed. Patients and doctors have a lot of leeway in their decisions. Patients can choose their own physicians, and doctors can choose the best procedures, tests, and medications for their patients.
2. Different Individual Insurance Policies
Individual insurance policies differ in Japan. There are three types of health insurance in Japan. The first insurance system protects employees who work for businesses. Companies deduct healthcare insurance premiums from employees’ pay checks. The second insurance system protects self-employed citizens. Premiums are determined by factors such as the individual’s income, the number of people living in the household, and any assets. The third system is a pooling fund, with premiums from the previous two plans covering medical costs for people aged 70 and up. The three medical plans cover all citizens, ensuring that everyone has access to healthcare. Because everyone has coverage, people in low-income households or in poverty rarely go without medical care.
3. Various Medical Services
Japan’s healthcare plans cover a wide range of medical services. The insurance plans cover primary and specialty care, hospital visits, mental health care, and the majority of dental care. Plans also cover prescription drugs prescribed by physicians and hospice care for the elderly. Local governments frequently subsidise check-ups for pregnant women, making it easier for women to access adequate medical care. The government also provides assistance to people with disabilities. They are eligible for government assistance in purchasing equipment such as wheelchairs and hearing aids. Healthcare in Japan looks after the poor by providing comprehensive medical care that is also accessible to disadvantaged groups.
4. Fair Healthcare
In comparison to many other countries, an individual’s income has less of an impact on the quality of care in Japan. Everyone pays the same prices because the fee schedule for medical care is uniform across the country. Furthermore, because of government subsidies for low-income people, physicians receive the same fee from patients with or without government assistance. As a result, there are no incentives for physicians in Japan to treat patients differently. Everyone, regardless of social class, receives equal treatment and access to medical resources. This enables Japan’s disadvantaged and poor people to receive the “necessary and adequate” care that the country’s universal health insurance promises.
5. Schedule for Payment
A fee schedule is used to collect payment. Patients pay for medical services using a national fee-for-service schedule. The government establishes the schedule, which includes fees for both primary and specialty care. All providers “share the same prices for medicines, devices, and services” because the fee schedule is uniform and applies to everyone. The government also provides subsidies to the poor and the elderly to help them pay for health insurance. This ensures that the poor face no barriers to receiving medical care.