A government probe into alleged abuse of Japan’s public health insurance system by foreign residents has sparked controversy, with critics claiming the investigation encourages prejudice against non-Japanese.
In January, the health and justice ministries began looking into allegations foreigners had fraudulently obtained residential status in order to join the nation’s public insurance system as a way to avoid paying costly medical fees. The move followed concerns raised by medical workers that abuse of the system could undermine the whole public insurance system.
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