The health care debate in America has had an interesting item mentioned again and again in recent weeks — the Japanese health care system! Editorials and news reports have held up Japan as an example of good-quality health care.
While the background conditions in America and in Japan are perhaps too different to compare, Japan can be said to provide a very good, if not perfect, level of health care to its citizens. With the debate raging in the States and a new government in Japan, now is a good time to take stock of lingering problems.
What many articles in the American press point out is the overall choice and general quality of services in Japan. Per capita expenditures here are lower than in the States because of so much primary and preventive care, mostly at local clinics. While Japan's specialization and high-tech care may not be as advanced, the level of access, number of annual checkups and basic care for the majority of Japanese mean that specialized and technology-oriented medicine is needed less often.