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DoctorPayne · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 4:44 am Post subject: Prescriptions

Okay most people are probably sick of insurance related questions but I just wanted clarification on something. Is there a health plan that will cover prescriptions for something like asthma, or are they only for injuries and sickness?

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

This is an easy question....

No private health insurance will ever cover pre-existing (especially chronic pre-existing) conditions... Doctors' visits or otherwise...

If you come out with an "asthma" claim, you will be hard-pressed to prove to the company that it was only RECENTLY diagnosed, and wasn't an issue until you signed their coverage paperwork... Not impossible, but VERY HARD.... Also, some companies have a "time limit".... whereby you must wait a minimum of 2 years before you make any cliam of a "chronic" rather than "accute" in nature... This way, if anything presents itself within the first two years you've been signed on with them, they can safely deny your claims.

As well, many insurance companies have exclusion clauses that puts a cap or maximum on any chronic condition claim, so they're not stuck paying for you for life should something be so serious... On the other hands, let's say (Heaven forbid) you get cancer, most schemes will cover chemo and related treatments...

Does that help?

Celeste · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 12:26 pm Post subject:

I am on national health insurance and I pay 1/3 of my prescription costs for asthma meds. Annoyingly I have to go in monthly to get my prescriptions renewed.

DoctorPayne · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject:

Are the asthma meds really expensive in Japan?

Celeste · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:34 pm Post subject:

I think that I pay about 1000yen to go to the doctor and then about 1000-2000yen for the actual meds. Multiply by 3 and you have the uninsured cost.

DoctorPayne · Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 3:28 am Post subject:

Thanks Celeste. Does anyone know if there are any websites where you can find out whether a specific med is available in Japan?