Japan’s two national health insurance programs are predicated on coverage for sick people. Anything that falls outside of that very simple and general guideline does not apply. (i.e. if it is not a disease, tough luck.) That’s why your national health insurance does not pay for annual checkups, though most local governments offer cancer screenings and other preventive health measures for free, or mostly free. In terms of dentistry, orthodontia — considered cosmetic in Japan while in the West it is a health concern since crooked teeth are likely to cause dental problems later in life — is
not covered by insurance. Neither is teeth-cleaning, strictly speaking, though many dentists, including my own, have found a way to get around it.
Why doesn’t national health insurance pay for maternity care? | Yen for Living
Interesting.
Then again, they have one of the lowest birth rates in a modern society.
On a side note, they have less C sections than the USA. C Sections cost more.
Some may argue that's because Americans have really big kids. I heard something a while back that said C sections cost more, so more C sections are performed in the USA.
Imagine..... if insurance didn't pay for maternity costs.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
