Our Objective

Our objective is to help formulate and promote awareness of public health care issues in relation to the specific needs of expatriates living in Japan based on the universal principles of humanism, individual liberty, and freedom of choice.

Japan has a long and distinguished history of taking the best elements from various cultures around the world and weaving them into the uniquely Japanese fabric to create an even richer tapestry for all to share and benefit from. The history of medical practice in Japan is no exception.

It is no accident that the World Health Organization consistently ranks Japan's health care system among the very highest in the world. In addition to nearly universal coverage, a person who becomes ill in Japan has a number of alternative options from which to choose, ranging from world-class Western medical treatment to ancient traditional Eastern remedies. Compared to the U.S., the statistics show Japan's health system in some ways to be much better off.

New challenges for Japan's social system . . .

But a progressively aging society (Japan is, by some statistics, aging more rapidly than any other country in the world) has created new challenges for Japan's social system and put a strain on health care professionals and facilities that the Japanese government is woefully unprepared to deal with. The social health insurance plan for company employees used to pay 90% of medical costs. That gave way to 80% and is now at 70%.

Furthermore, there is a growing flight of Japanese doctors from rural areas to the big cities, leaving a void behind them. One can only assume that patients in rural areas will eventually have to travel to the big cities in search of quality health care.

Sadly, the most recent and significant wake-up call to the problems of Japan's health care system has come in the number of cases in which people arriving in ambulances and in desperate need of emergency care were turned away from one hospital after another. The most heartbreaking of these was when a woman in labor was turned away by more than 15 hospitals. The baby was born but, tragically, the mother died.

Thus, it would be a mistake to arbitrarily proclaim Japan's health care a success and America's a failure. The United States still has some of the best doctors and medical research facilities in the world. Japan's media often reports on Japanese citizens who go to the U.S. for specialized surgeries and treatments. The area of organ transplants has been one in which Japan has lagged woefully behind.

The Goal . . .

The Goal . . . Our intent here is not to point fingers and declare one nation's health care system is better than another's. Rather, the key objective of the Free Choice Foundation is to extend a diversity of options to non-Japanese and expatriates in Japan. Depending upon the circumstances, a non-Japanese residing in Japan may have a genuine need to be covered by a private health care plan or may simply desire such coverage. He or she may need that type of coverage that pays for the services of a foreign doctor at one of Japan's international clinics. Or, he may need a health insurance plan which more efficiently meets the needs of an international citizen who travels regularly. On the other hand, and to repeat, any non-Japanese who wishes to join one of the nationalized plans should not be denied access.

It is our goal therefore to present evidence to the Japanese government, as well as the general public, that a single shoe does not fit every foot. We hope to generate solutions consistent with our core principles and values and present them to local, national and international governmental bodies; the news media and other interested parties.

Our vision is to help contribute to the building of a Japanese health care system in which understanding and freedom of choice for non-Japanese exits, where opportunity and access is available to all, and where civility and humanism flourish. We hope you'll join us.