Essay

Healthcare in Japan

By Steve Ford

Having spent a lifetime of traveling and fooling around in a lot of different countries means that, in addition to enjoying various cultures and cuisines, I've also had a number of chances to experience the diversity of healthcare on offer throughout the world.

I also realized how lucky I'd been to have avoided serious ailments and accidents while on the road. So far, I've visited doctors in the United States, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, Australia and Japan, and most recently I even witnessed the medical treatment in Mongolia through the eyes of my wife, who was in a hospital there during a summer visit to her home town of Ulan Bator.

For some of us living in Japan who take decent healthcare for granted, the heated debate over universal healthcare insurance in the United States seems a little silly. If having access to more or less affordable healthcare makes one a socialist, then I guess that would make almost all of us living in Japan socialists.

Opponents of universal healthcare insurance in the U.S. — the only industrialized country in the world that lacks such insurance — might want to take a look at Japan's system of healthcare.

Japan spends about one half the amount that the U.S. spends on healthcare and gets a much better return on its money. Japan may have to deal with complex social problems involved in caring for an aging population, but as it stands now people here don't face financial ruin and bankruptcy on a scale like the U.S., where according to a recent study, 62 percent of bankruptcies were related to health care costs.

As a self-employed person I've got National Health Insurance for myself, wife and step-daughter. It functions flawlessly and even though health insurance and healthcare are among my largest expenses, just behind rent and food, I'm awfully glad to have it.

Some folks may complain that Japanese doctors are lacking in bedside manner, for example they don't take a lot of time to explain treatment options and procedures with patients.

Still, I always thank my lucky stars that I live in Japan when I visit my internist every month or two to get my prescriptions refilled and check on the progress of my diabetes. I usually take some tests and wait about an hour to see the doctor for about five minutes or less. If the tests are bad, he considers adjusting my medication for a moment — but almost never does — and if the tests results are good, he just renews my prescription and says, "See you in another two months." He is an expert in his field and a busy man. I don't think a friendly chat would really make any difference, and in the end I know I'm getting some of the best health care available, and for me that's what counts. What do you think?

Shukan ST: October 2, 2009

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