Ⅴ． When You Go to Hospitals or Clinics

Before going to the hospital, make sure of their schedule for outpatients. At most hospitals, outpatients are seen only in the morning. Doctors see patients with a particular illness in the afternoon. Each department or section of the hospital has different schedules. Although the check-in time for outpatients is fixed, there are many people waiting before the receptionist is open to get an earlier number. For that reason, even if you get to the hospital just at the time the doors open, you need to wait for a long time.

International students who are staying in Japan more than one year need to join the National Health Insurance. The National Health Insurance section at the ward office(city office)where you did your alien registration will accept your application. Talk to the person in charge because the monthly fee(hokenryo) may be deducted in some cases.

There is a medical fee support system for international students from the Association of International Education in Japan(AIEJ). With this system, the amount you need to cover will be greatly reduced although the amount covered will differ depending on whether you have National Health Insurance or not. After your visit to the hospital, bring your receipt and National Health Insurance Card to the "Ryugakusei-ka" and fill in the application form for medical support for international students there. After 2~3 months, you will get the reimbursement. For more details or confirmation, visit the Ryugakusei-ka.

• With National Health Insurance(NHI)and reimbursement, the final amount you need to cover is only 6% of the total medical bill.

The family members of international students are not covered by this AIEJ medical support program. However, with National Health Insurance, self coverage will be 30% of the total bill.

When you get injured in a traffic accident, you need to pay the whole amount at the hospital. Your automobile third party liability insurance will cover the whole or part of your payment after the settlement of the case. Talk to the person at the hospital when you need to go there for injury from an accident.

When you visit a hospital for the first time, and if you don't have the National Health Insurance card, you need to pay the whole amount at the hospital. You need to show the National Health Insurance card to the same hospital if you visit there in a different month. Even when you visit the same section of the same hospital after a long time from the last visit, bring your National Health Insurance card .

At the first visit to a hospital or clinic, they will issue you a hospital card (shinsatsu-ken). You need to bring this card from the second visit. You can use the same card for different sections of the same hospital.

In the case of a first visit (This is a general process. The order in the last part may differ among hospitals.)

filling out application form → processing application (chart made) → going to department and waiting for doctor→ treatment → tests → receipt of prescription → payment → receipt of medicine

Fill in the application form first.

• Forms are located on the desks a little apart from the application counter. At a large hospital, you can ask about it at the general information desk.
• Items you need to fill in: name, birthday, address, type of health insurance, its number and names of the people covered by the insurance.

After filling out the application form, bring the form and National Health Insurance card to the first visit counter. Wait for your chart in the waiting room. When it's ready, they will call your name and tell you which room to go to.

Go to the right department, and hand in the chart. Wait in a chair in front of the room. As your number approaches, your name will be called and you will be told which doctor's room to go to. Then go to wait in a chair in front of the designated room.(In some hospitals, you will go to the doctor's room directly from the waiting room.)

• When you leave the waiting room, inform the person at the counter in case your name is called while you are away.

Enter the doctor's room when your name is called. Following are some questions to be asked --- better to note in advance.

• Sample answers

  Reason for consultation :	Sample answers
  1. where :	lower abdomen
  2. since when :	since yesterday. It started a half year ago and I had pain once in a while.
  3. how :	sharp pain aggravated suddenly
  4. when :	right after meals
  5. other symptoms :	nausea

• Medical history (If you have more than one, write down in chronological order) name of the illness / when (age) / period of treatment or hospitalization
• If you have any allergies, name them.
• Family history --- illness and causes of death of your family members 1. grandparents / 2. parents and their siblings / 3. siblings
• Alcohol and cigarettes
  Drink alcohol or not --- if you drink, what kind of alcohol and how much Smoke or not --- if you smoke, how much

There are two kinds of tests.

• Tests that you receive the same day: blood test, X-ray,etc.
• Tests that you need to make a separate appointment for: tests that the number of test receivers is limited

• For some tests, you need to wait until a far later date.
• If you need to wait for the test until a later date, that means you don't need it urgently. So don't worry.
• Don't be late for a test. Follow the directions such as "no breakfast on the test day".
• If you don't follow the directions, your test results will not be accurate or you will not be permitted to take the test.

Medication is prescribed if needed. A file of statement for calculating the bill, hospital card(shinsatsu-ken) and prescription will be received.

See the references on the examples of questions and answers about the medication.

Submit the file to the payment counter and wait until the bill is made. You will get the number for receiving medication at the payment counter. (Some hospitals give you prescriptions and you will purchase medication at a pharmacy that deals with prescriptive medications outside the hospital.) When your number is posted on the board, you will receive the medication.

• You need to pay for the medication when you get medicine at the pharmacy outside.

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