3 things to prepare for before a foreign or exchange student gets sick.

This is not something that foreign and international students like to think about, but they need to be well prepared.

That is, “What if I get sick in Japan?
The preparations for illness are a little different for foreigners staying in Japan as tourists and for foreigners or foreign students staying in Japan for more than one year.

Today, we will explain what and how you should prepare.

1.Private Insurance for Foreigners in Japan

Source: https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/jpn/do_travel_insurance05.html

This is in preparation for those who are staying in Japan temporarily for travel or other reasons.
We have talked about public insurance (National Health Insurance) before, so please refer to that article.

Today, we will talk about private insurance.

There are various types of private insurance, so I cannot introduce detailed conditions here, but travel agencies and credit card companies often handle the procedures.
Some of them may be even more generous than public insurance, as they cover the full cost of medical treatment in Japan.

However, those who stay in Japan for more than one year may not be eligible for private insurance.
On the other hand, there are cases where it is possible to purchase private insurance while enrolled in public insurance.

It is a good idea to check with your travel agency or credit card company.
We recommend that you make preparations well in advance of becoming ill.

2.Hospitals where foreigners and foreign students can easily receive medical examinations

There are hospitals in Japan where foreigners and foreign students can easily receive medical examinations.
Although it may not be well known, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the Tourism Bureau, and the websites of each prefecture have lists of such hospitals.

It is useful to check the list once before getting sick, as it contains detailed information on insurance, diseases, and languages that can be handled.

When you become ill, you will be in a panic and will not be able to do any research.
By preparing in advance, you can rest assured.

Below is the address of our website.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (list of multilingual explanatory materials for foreigners):
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iryou/kokusai/setsumei-ml.html

Tourism Bureau (contact information search):
https://www.jnto.go.jp/emergency/jpn/mi_guide.html

3.Interpretation service for medical treatment in Japan

While the cost of medical care is important and finding a hospital is important, the most important thing is to eliminate the language barrier.

Whenever a foreigner or foreign student goes to a hospital, a problem that always occurs is the inability to communicate due to the language barrier. Even if you manage to communicate your symptoms, doctors and nurses may ask you for more detailed information.

For example, “How long have you had a fever and how many degrees?”
Where does it hurt and when did it start?
and so on.

Also, if you don’t know what the doctors and nurses are talking about, you will not understand the extent of your illness and will feel very anxious.

Recently, there are smartphone apps that can easily translate the information, so we can communicate to some extent, but for something that requires specialized language, such as a disease, there is no development.

However, there are many cases where an interpreter is available nearby than you might think.
For example, ask the international relations department of your local municipality. Volunteer interpreters are registered and may be able to accompany you to the hospital free of charge.

Even if they are not free, they may be able to accompany you to the hospital for a small fee.
Please do your research in advance so that you can take advantage of these programs while you are still healthy.

List of interpretation services:
https://www.bousai.go.jp/kaigirep/houkokusho/hukkousesaku/saigaitaiou/output_html_1/pdf/243-250.pdf

Summary

Depending on the length of stay in Japan, there may be different insurance policies available to foreigners and foreign students.
Japan’s medical care system is as good as any other country’s, but on the other hand, the government does not publicize it well, so it is a fact that few people use it.

If a foreigner or foreign student receives treatment at a Japanese hospital and returns to Japan without paying the medical expenses, depending on the circumstances, he/she may not be allowed to enter Japan at the next immigration inspection.

In order to prevent such problems, please be prepared to receive medical treatment when necessary.