Stay healthy—a good motto, and most people look after themselves reasonably well, through diet, exercise, and lifestyle balance.
From time to time we all get sick however—standard ailments and inflictions (flu, food poisoning), bizarre stuff we didn’t know existed (bursitis, pitariasis rosia), and the scary stuff waiting for some but not all of us (heart failure, cancer etc etc). And then there’s the chance of an accident—some predictable as turned ankles hiking; others sheer bad luck, like being on the wrong crossing, or outside the wrong building, at the wrong time. Most accidents are not the result of reckless behavior; they just happen.
Note also, for many of you this is not just about yourself, but your loved ones, children especially, for whom you would want the best care. Best care will include a pro-active element, so check-ups and screening.
The standard Japanese national health package, delivered either through the private route, kokumin kenko hoken, or the corporate route, kenko hoken, will cover you for consultations, treatment, ward hospitalization, for as long as recovery takes. 30% of the costs (with a cap) though, go to the patient; and that percentage even with a cap is monthly cap, not a total—so a long-term illness can wipe out a family’s resources (hence the prevalence of stand-alone cancer insurances in this country).
If you would like to eliminate the 30% co-payment, insure against catastrophe, upgrade your cover so you can specify a private room, enlist the support of emergency rescue services, and make sure you are covered around the world, not just in Japan, you are fully entitled to take out private health insurance. They also all come with 100% Cancer Cover. We offer various levels of enhancement with a number of big name foreign insurance companies, and indeed have been working with them for several decades.
Banner Japan assist expats in Japan and Asia with their health insurance needs. Since 1979 we have set up many cost effective and reliable programs for Embassies, schools, companies and individuals. If you would like to see what’s on the menu please contact us on 03 -5724-5100 info@bannerjapan.com
