Expat Healthcare & Health Insurance in Tokyo, Japan

I have Social Health Insurance as an full-time employee. National Health Insurance also exists if one's job does not pay for half of insurance. Everyone is entitled to public insurance and may enroll if a resident.

It costs me about 5% of my salary (and my employer pays another 5%) based on my salary in the previous year.

I was enrolled with no questions of my pre-existing conditions.

There are public hospitals, but I have not been to one yet. It is often the case that people with some health issue will go to a local, small practitioner that specializes in that field.

Research clinics and hospitals online that are English-speaking beforehand. Contact clinics to ask if they perform certain procedures. Learn some common words to ask for specific things if you have to go to a Japanese-speaking clinic or hospital. Hospitals will not coddle you - you must advocate for yourself and be firm if you are having certain issues. Otherwise they may rush you out after a quick once-over.

Emergency services are common and can be accessed by calling 119 for a fire or ambulance and 110 for police.

I am a 20 minute public transit ride away from several different hospitals, or a 10 minute drive.

The best hospitals in the city are The University of Tokyo Hospital and St. Luke's International Hospital. I am unfamiliar with their care as I have not had to visit yet.

Expats likely go anywhere that has English speakers.

Healthcare is good here. People only have to pay 30% of reasonable costs for anything covered. Unfortunately, the public healthcare here does not cover anything preventative. Since I still have active health insurance in America, I have visited there to get a child prevention measure done - completely covered!

Pharmacies are usually attached to hospitals or clinics and require prescriptions. There are drugstores for over-the-counter medicine. Prescription medicine is priced pretty low, depending on what coverage and costs you are used to.

I have Social Health Insurance that my job helped set up for me. It's accepted pretty much everywhere as it's a public insurance. I have only needed to do something preventative, though, so I have only paid for medical service in its entirely before.