Japan and the United States have developed countries, and their respective governments have a great agenda for continued development especially in the health sectors. However, their healthcare systems differ in a number of ways. The UnitedStates health care is characterized by having many healthcare insurance companies while Japan has a set Universal Health care (Atun, De Andrade, Almeida, Cotlear, Dmytraczenko, Frenz & De Paula, 2015) . The central element in the U.S health care system is that payment for health care services is based on employer-purchased insurance. Nearly every reform of the health system has been based on health insurance purchased by an employer, which was started during the World War II whereby the employer was forced to offer benefits to the employee as a way to compete for workers (Stoddart & Evans, 2017) . On the other hand, the system of health care in Japan has been designed to provide services to all citizens through controlled health care expenditure and employer-purchased insurance. This approach has made the Japanese receive quality health at the lowest cost of health services.
Japan system is guided by the principle that maintaining a healthy and productive workforce would contribute to the expansion of the nation’s wealth (Stoddart & Evans, 2017) . After WorldWar II, Japan had a new constitution that provided the right to health care for all citizens. The plans that are allied to insurance are financed by obligatory payroll deductions and patient co-payment. Additionally, patients are allowed to make their own decisions on determining the providers who are paid through a uniform method (Nishida & Yoshida, 2016) . Health care prices are limited by the national government which has helped in controlling the cost and ensure equitable access.
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The medical and the medications procedures are well outlined in Japan. Nonetheless, the ideology to free access to medications processes is being challenged by the financial system. Japan achieved its Universal health coverage earlier as compared to the United States (Etsuji, 2014). The medical care and the drugs became cheap as well as primitive. The insurance that is offered in Japan is rooted in both the physicians’ and the patients’ minds. According to the present health insurance system in Japan, a uniform schedule has been established to help in regulating the prices of all the medications procedures including the drug administration. The price of healthcare in Japan is observed to be uniform and the poorest Japanese are able to acquire adequate and quality healthcare. Additionally, through the uniform care system that is developed in Japan, individuals can receive healthcare in any of the clinics or hospitals in Japan because all of them offer quality healthcare system.
The United States achieved its Universal health care after Japan did. Most importantly, in 2011, the Obama administration was struggling to make the United States’ healthcare effective and affordable to all the citizens. The medications procedures in America are well-outlined and the physicians must confirm individuals’ health plans, drug appropriateness, and individuals’ medical conditions before administering for medications. In the United States, distinct health plans cover for different medications. Moreover, distinct health plans permit American citizens to acquire medications from distinct pharmacies, which are also known as in-network pharmacies. The medical insurance is designed to cover a limited number of outpatient prescription drugs, which is usually determined by different conditions. For instance, Medicare helps in paying for some antigens, injectable drugs and injectable osteoporosis drugs (Medicare.gov. (n.d.)). The hospital insurance that is also offered assists in paying for transplant drugs, which are very costly on an individual level.
Japan has a higher life expectancy at birth than the United States. This is due to the free medical covers the pregnant women are given before and after birth. In general, infants below three years of age pay twenty percent of the health services while the government pays the rest (Drucker, 2017) . Additionally, the mother and child law give the municipal government an obligation to give the pregnant women and their spouses with the counseling survives. When seen necessary, the municipal authority may dispatch a health care officer to a family with the newborn. Between the three and four years, the local government arranges for the medical examinations for the children. Local government also gives parent advice on the premature babies’ programs and offer financial support if the family experiences certain difficulties. It is also the responsibilities of the schools to implement measures to enhance school health and conduct health checkups to all children. Before they enter elementary school at the age of six, the education committee arranges for the health checkups.
In the United States, children health insurance program (CHIP), Medicaid and affordable care act (ACA) are largely used to cover for the child health care. Despite the effort through these organizations, 1 out of 9 children are still uninsured (Obama, 2016) . Children from poor background have poor access to health care compared to those from wealthy families. Those from white families are more likely to access better health care as compared to children of color. Children with unmet health need in the United States fall behind in growth, and they always have difficulties in catching up with other children socially, physically and academically.
There are two parts of the Japan health care systems, national health insurance, and employee health insurance. Members of the Employment Health care System are exempted for one year in the payments of the premiums during the child care leave. Members with the employee’s pension insurance pay only 20% of their medical cost which also applies to their family members. Long-term sickness and childbirth are always given allowances depending on the insured salary. If the insured dies, the funeral is paid for. The national health insurance also applies to people that are not working, self-employed those already retired.
Unemployed people in the United States can get affordable health insurance plan through the marketplace while the saving is based on the income and family size (Friedman et al., 2016) . Low-income earners can apply for the low-cost coverage through Medicaid. The household seizes, and income determines the health coverage one is eligible but not the employment status. The loss of a job in the United States affects the health benefits while the reduced income means that one has difficulties in accessing private medical care. However, there is an option of buying a marketplace plan when one retires before the age of 65 or when one loses a job.
United States healthcare is system covers fewer services with more hoops to jump through as compared to Japan. The basic preventive services such as dental care are readily available in Japan as compared to the United States (Stoddart & Evans, 2017 . Most Japanese acquire an appointment with specialists without having to go through a general practitioner. Some of the services such as blood testing and magnetic imaging scans are cheaper and readily available to get. One would pay $1200 for the services of MRI while in Japan it would cost $100.in the United States, more than half of the patients are referred to a specialist. However, despite the higher number of the referral and its importance, the process has been characterized by frustrations among both primary care doctors and specialists. One can never go to the doctor’s office and expect appointment immediately. Most of the appointment usually takes a few days to few months. In most cases, the patient is required to choose a doctor from the insurance company’s provider directory
Patients in Japan never go bankrupt due to the increase of the medical bill unlike in the United States (Stoddartb & Evans, 2017) . The local and national government always comes in to support medication that cost much to the patient. On the other hand, many people go bankrupt because of medical expenses. Additionally, the quality medication in the United States depends on the patient financial ability, unlike Japan where the quality of healthcare has been standardized due to the prices control of all the health care.
The health care system in Japan saw the patient pay approximately $280 per month for their health care if they are working. However, other programs are available for people who do not work. In general, the medical insurance treatment coverage is available to all residents. The nominal fee is provided in Japan for noncovered exams so that it may obtain by the people in need of the exam. In the United States, it all depends on the financial ability of the person to get medical insurance cover. The cost of chronic diseases treatment is expensive if one had not purchased the insurance prior to the illness. As patients get older the apparent coverage may not be enough because the elderly living on a fixed income and have to make choices to buy medications or buy food for themselves (Drucker, 2017) . In Japan, all people are covered as residents and no problem of exclusion that is based on the pre-existing conditions. However, in the US if a patient changes insurance he or she may be declined treatment based on the pre-existing condition clause. Additionally, people may be forced to pay a higher premium for coverage than those without the pre-existing conditions. This has made it difficult for low-income earners to afford health insurance in the US.
References
Atun, R., De Andrade, L. O. M., Almeida, G., Ctlear, D., Dmytraczenko, T., Frenz, P., & De Paula, J. B. (2015).Health-system reform and universal health coverage in Latin America. The Lancet , 385 (9974), 1230-1247.
Stoddart, G. L., & Evans, R. G. (2017).Producing health, consuming health care.In Why are some people healthy and others not? (pp. 27-64). Routledge.
Drucker, P. F. (2017). The pension fund revolution . Routledge.
Stoddart, G. L., & Evans, R. G. (2017). Producing health, consuming health care.Patton Why are some people healthy and others not? (pp. 27-64). Routledge.
Friedman, G., Freeman, R. F., Hilliard, M., Hoyt, E., Jacobson, D., Kelton, S., & Paul, M. (2016). What would sanders do? Estimating the economic impact of Sanders’ Programs. Dollars and Sense
Medicare.gov. (n.d.). Your Medicare Coverage . Retrieved from https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/prescription-drugs-outpatient
Obama, B. (2016). The United States health care reform: progress to date and next steps. Jama , 316 (5), 525-532.
Etsuji. (2014, February 22). Farewell to free access: Japan’s universal health coverage . Retrieved from http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/02/22/farewell-to-free-access-japans-universal-health-coverage/
