Foreign tourists wearing Japanese traditional kimono clothes pose for a photograph near Sensoji temple at Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan, March 10, 2025. Photo by Reuters
Japan is planning to make health insurance mandatory for all foreign tourists as part of efforts to tackle an epidemic of unpaid medical bills.
There is rising concern that some foreign visitors receive medical treatment during their stay in Japan and leave without settling their hospital bills, forcing Japanese taxpayers to shoulder the costs, Kyodo News agency reported.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare plans to share information about foreign visitors with unpaid bills with the immigration agency to enable stricter screening.
Visitors with unpaid medical bills may be stopped from leaving or face detention when entering the country the next time.
A nationwide survey done by the ministry in September 2024 found that 11,372 foreign tourists received medical care at hospitals and 0.8% of them failed to pay, leaving behind debts of around 61.35 million yen (US$425,000), the South China Morning Post reported
Other countries such as Cuba, Nepal, Qatar, and Jordan have similar regulations requiring proof of insurance for incoming travelers.
