Visitors are not covered under any plan however if

visitors are not covered under any plan, however if you have been living in Japan for more than
one year you will have access to free healthcare ( Matsuda). Japanese citizens sign up for
healthcare policies through the Statutory Health Insurance System (SHIS) which are required by
Updated on 2/21/19

ORGANIZATIONAL SYSTEMS TASK 3 3
law to guarantee quality medical care. Citizens can obtain insurance through their employer, a
community-based insurer, or means-tested public assistance. Citizens enrolled in SHIS plans can
be based on employment status, age, or area of residence. They are covered through SHIS,
however if they fail to remain enrolled in an insurance plan, they may face a fee of up to two
years’ worth of premiums when the reapply for insurance (Matsuda).
A2A. Coverage of Medications
Both Japan and the United States have a system of cost sharing between the insured and
the insurer. Medication coverage in the United States differs depending on the type of insurance
coverage one has, the Affordable Care Act makes all insurance plans cover prescriptions,
however which drugs are covered and at what cost is vaguer. The United States citizens tend to
have a copay but the amount depends based upon their insurance. In Japan, medications are
much like there healthcare and patients pay 30% ( Nakagawa & Kume, 2017).
A2B. Referral to See a Specialist
In Japan, there are no specific instructions or requirements to obtain a referral to see a
specialist (Matsuda). However, in the United States some insurance plans such as health
maintenance organizations (HMOs) require a referral from your primary care physician before
seeing a specialist.