Medical cost in Japan

Most foreigners that live in Japan for long-term have the Japanese national health insurance. In fact, if you plan to stay longer than a year you are obliged to apply for the Japanese health insurance. If you stay shorter it is optional, so e.g. foreigners on a working holiday visa can choose whether they want to join or not.

The Japanese health insurance covers 70% of your medical cost. If you are 70 years or older it may cover more depending on your income. The remaining 30% must be paid the patient. 

How much do you actually have to pay? 

From my experience, medical cost can amount to quite some money over time. If you visit a doctor because you caught a cold you will usually pay something between 2.000 to 3.000 Yen including medication. But if a blood test is required for the diagnose you will pay around 5.000 Yen. 

I have a chronic disease that requires me to get my blood tested 4 times a year. These blood tests alone accumulate to 20.000 Yen each year and this does not include the money I pay for the medication I have to take every day.

If some more complicated test needs to be done like e.g. an MRI you will have to pay something around 10.000 Yen. Imagine having a disease that is not found easily and having to visit several doctors and doing several tests. You can easily end up spending several 10.000 Yens.

I luckily never had to stay in a hospital before but I heard that you have to pay around 20.000 Yen per day you are hospitalized.

Limit for medical costs

If your medical cost in one month exceeds a certain limit you can apply for a reduction of your medical cost. The limit depends on your income. For people with an average income, it is around 80.000 Yen. But imagine having to pay 80.000 Yen for several months. Not easy to handle unless you have enough savings, especially if you cant work in that time and have a lower income than usual.

Additional optional insurances 

In order to be prepared for such cases, there are additional private health insurances you can enter. There are several different options to choose from. Some covering several illnesses, some focusing on only certain illnesses, some only paying when you get hospitalized others that already pay when you have to visit a doctor regularly for treatment. 

If you plan to enter such insurance it is best to enter as early as possible when you are still completely healthy. You will get the lowest insurance rates. Also if you were to be diagnosed with a chronic disease most insurance providers will outright reject you.