Hospitals in Japan
According to an estimate of 2003, there are 9,168 hospitals in Japan. Of these, 1,080 are public hospitals. The rest are private hospitals. Most of the hospitals in Japan belong to the private sector. About 80 percent of the hospitals in Japan are private hospitals. Everyone must be insured medically in Japan. Foreign residents also need to be medically insured. All residents of foreign countries who are staying in Japan for one year or longer have to join the National Health Insurance Program. Before treating a foreigner who is not a member of the National Health Insurance Program, medical practitioners in Japan require full payment in advance or a definite proof of the person’s ability to pay. The fees for all medical and surgical procedures in Japan are standardized by the Medical Fee Table. The fees for drugs are also standardized by the National Health Insurance price list. Costs which are covered by the insurance include inpatient and outpatient care, dental care, home care, prescription drugs, and home nursing for the elderly patients, prosthetics, and cash benefits for childbirth. The expenses which are not covered under the insurance plan include additional fees for hospital care (for example, a private room), over-the-counter drugs, or routine physical examinations.
Medical Tourism in Japan
While the Japanese hospitals are considered the best in the world by the World Health Organization, still Japan has not been able to establish itself as a major medical tourism destination. The cost of medical treatment is high in Japan. The cost of drugs in Japan is one of the highest in the world. The cost of drugs is often upto 30 percent of the total medical bill. Japan has not been able to position itself as a major medical tourism destination due to the high cost of drugs and treatment here. The high cost of medical treatment in Japan compared to countries like Thailand, India, Malaysia, and Singapore has not made it a preferable destination of medical tourists from across the world. All residents of Japan need to be covered by a public medical insurance scheme to ensure that they are covered by an insurance policy at all times. There are two types of insurance schemes – the National Health Insurance scheme and the Employee Health Insurance. People pay regular insurance premiums to these schemes, which are calculated according to the income of the subscriber. All foreigners who have completed one year in Japan are required to join the insurance scheme. People insured under these schemes need to pay only 30 percent of the actual bill of the hospital. The rest 70 percent is paid directly by the insurance company to the hospital or clinic.
Visa to Japan
Nationals of following countries do not require a visa to stay in Japan for up to six months: Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Mexico. Nationals of the following countries do not require a visa to stay in Japan for up to 90 days: Singapore, Canada, U.S.A., Argentina, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, etc. Nationals of countries who have visa exemption agreements with Japan for six months in principle are permitted to stay in Japan for 90 days at a time. For stays of more than 90 days, the persons have to apply for a visa extension.