Probe into foreigners' health insurance abuse stirs controversy

If no one's been found, not only is it abusive, it is a serious waste of money. How about looking into insurance companies ripping people off instead?

As of April 2016, about 950,000 foreigners were enrolled in the public insurance system.

In the year through October 2016, 19 foreign residents received expensive medical treatment, including prescriptions for hepatitis C medication, within six months of joining the national health insurance scheme.

Of the 19, the investigation found that in only two cases was there a possibility that the system had been abused.

Damn foreigners, am I right ?

I'm wondering 1) how this probe could even be started ? 2) is there the same kind of probe concerning japanese citizens ? 3) how much did it cost ? 4) how much longer will the government waste our taxes ?

So like a 0.0002% fraud rate. Essentially nothing. I wonder how much the probe cost...

If the probe returned with zero results, what was the driver for it? Maybe one suspicious case that eventually turned out to be a false alarm? Not funny.

Probe wasted taxpayers’ money, that foreigners pay a bit too, no?

If the resident status has been acquired fraudulently, then that’s another probe altogether. Residents then using the insurance system for saving treatment cost is not abuse but a loophole. Go figure.

‘But in the time since the probe was launched, no confirmed cases linked to fraudulently-obtained residential status have been found, prompting calls for the investigation to be terminated.’

the number of cases warrants absolutely no action!

Whoever ordered that tax-payers money be wasted like this should have their employment terminated.....

sparked controversy, with critics claiming the investigation encourages prejudice against non-Japanese.

Japan is definitely one of, if not the most culturally prejudiced and racist countries in the world. Even the above statement implies the 'us and them' mentality of Japanese culture. However, this is only when it suits them. Perhaps every foreigner should win a grand slam tennis tournament. I can tell you for a fact there are literally millions of Japanese exploiting the Japanese health system.

Next, they should do a probe into abuse of the Japanese pension system by Japanese. How many claims are made for relatives dead 20 or 30 years ago? That would surely be in the 1,000s.

alleged cases involving foreigners who fraudulently obtained residential status in order to join Japan's public insurance system

Who made the allegations? Twitter? 2ch? Someone with a large black van?

But in the time since the probe was launched, no confirmed cases linked to fraudulently-obtained residential status have been found, prompting calls for the investigation to be terminated.

ha, well that was money well spent

the meetings to make an agenda for the next meeting to discuss the composition of the following meeting. The realisation that there was nothing to investigate but continued on anyway and apparently still do. The boss wants results because he knows!,,,, facts be damned. Damn cheating forengers. We can't rip them off if the are....oh hang on.

There my lovely Bureaucrats go again. I can tell you with certainty that foreigners in Japan are one of the most law abiding in the world. The laws are stringent enough to scare foreigners from doing bad things. Nonetheless, there are clear cases of foreigners not playing by the rules. Those foreigners must be investigated and punished as deterrent to others. Having said that I think, this action by the ministry is much ado about nothing. The results of the survey has failed to validate their thinking especially about foreigners. You have about 125,000,000 million Japanese and yet you want to target about 2,000,000 foreigners. The result of their painstaking and expensive survey showed nothing against foreigners. The question then is ,is this not the typically stereotypical mindset of those in authority to find fault with foreigners at all cost for any rot in the system? They should look within and they will find the answers.

Despite the money wasted in the investigation, one good thing for foreign residents is that it is one less thing they can blame us for.

What does it tell you about a country that spends time and money desperately trying to find incidences of foreigners breaking the law or milking the system, while ignoring the crimes of citizens?

This is a plot by abe to finish health insurance and make people pay for private insurance. But, just like casinos, all the money will go to a certain country.

My wife and I participate in the National Health Insurance program, and I think it's a great deal. Just yesterday my wife went to the hospital complaining of chest pains. She had an ECG, stress test, blood tests, ultrasound of her chest, doctor's consult, and a checkup which included BP check. All that would have cost us an arm and a leg in Los Angeles, but guess how much we paid...just a hair over $20. I kid you not. But we do have a monthly premium of about $300 for the both of us. BTW, she has no serious conditions.

In Japan, all residents including foreigners must enroll in a health insurance plan provided by their employers, which also covers their dependents, or enroll in the national health insurance scheme at their local municipal offices. As of April 2016, about 950,000 foreigners were enrolled in the public insurance system.

Oh yeah? I worked for JAL 15 years, Paramount & Universal 4 years, East West Consulting about 6 years on 3 occasions, none paid one yen into health insurance, unemployment or retirement funds.

Not surprising sadly, CLEARLY foreigners here are by FAR contributing BIG TIME to health care & these idiots are trying to make a issue where there is almost none taking place!

Employers are loath to pay for a foreign worker, as their plan is to replace them after 1 or 2 years. Best bet is to get onto your spouse company plan. Word to the wise.

In the UK point of issue treatment is free (we pay through the nose for it in taxation though and the service is cr@p) and the system is heavily abused. However as a diabetic in Japan I find that Japanese healthcare is superb. As Macv says not ALL employers offer healthcare and I personally prefer to pay for my own private insurance for the major stuff. They will not cover pre existing conditions like my diabetes, so I pay 125 gbp cash per month which covers Japanese doctor visits where the wait to see him in less than 20 minutes, no appointment required. (In the UK doctor’s appointments are regularly 20 plus minutes late and that’s IF you can get one within two weeks!)  - monthly blood test, prescription cost and medication. So in terms of quality, value for money and efficiency I give Japan 4 out of 5 and the UK 2 out of five.

I much prefer the UK system, I don't get patronised by the doctors or over medicated and they don't recoilin horror when I have the temerity to ask them a question. It's paid for by National Insurance and taxes and you don't have to pay 30% of the costs. Nor are you obliged to go to the doctor every month for a repeat prescription, paying every time of course even though all the doctor does is give you the pills, and dental treatment isn't paid per visit, so fillings are done in one appointment. Oh, you get pain relief too.

Where is the waste in Japan really? What an abominable joke. Bureaucrats...my friends...some day the light is going to shine on you.

You know what I think this investigation is about..... a politician trying to make a name for him or herself. The other day a Politician in our town ran almost solely on the basis that people should not pay NHK fees. Tell them what you think they want to hear. Rattle them with fear, foreigners don't vote.

I love Japan's national health insurance system, have had 3 strokes, quad bypass, CKD, crushed lumbar, PTSD all treatment was very affordable and my doctors at Kyosai Hospital in Nakameguro are attentive friendly and really wonderful. On the other hand the idiots masquerading as doctors at Hiroo Hospital where patients have died from misdiagnosis are unprofessional uncaring and should be disbarred.