healthhokkaido
Health Insurance System
Joining the Health Insurance System
There is a public medical insurance system in Japan, which will compensate for part of the medical costs in cases of sickness and injury. Those who are registered as foreign residents can aquire health insurance under specific conditions.
Foreign residents that are registered to stay over one year in Japan, and are not members of the social insurance scheme.
Health Insurance Benefits
If you are not a member of a Japanese health insurance scheme, you will have to pay for all medical expenses. However, if you are a member and present your insurance card, you can receive medical treatment at an institution and pay only part of the medical costs. You are also eligible to receive a designated lump-sum payment in cases of childbirth and death. (Application required.)
Health insurance does not cover the cost of normal pregnancy/childbirth, corrective surgery and surgery for cosmetic purposes, or injury caused by fighting or criminal actions. It also does not cover preventative injections and medical check-ups.
When health insurance is used for the treatment of injuries caused by a third person in the case of traffic accidents or other events, the medical costs should be claimed from the person at fault afterwards. If you have a traffic accident, immediately contact the police and the insurance authority (Health Insurance & Pension Department of a ward office for National Health Insurance) for the necessary procedures. If you mutually resolve with the person at fault or receive money without going through the proper procedures, you may be asked to pay the medical costs by yourself. Please be careful in this regard, as Hokkaido is one of the prefectures with the highest incidence of traffic accidents.
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