C489 – TASK 3
Organizational Skills and Quality Leadership
Western Governor’s University
Cesar Vega
Student ID: #000680503
November 10, 2018
A1. Country to Compare
The country whose healthcare system I am comparing to the United States is Japan.
A2. Access
Healthcare access in Japan consists of two major type of insurance: National Health Insurance (NHI), or Employees’ Health Insurance through an individual’s place of employment. NHI is designed for individuals whom do not qualify for employment-based health insurance plan. Health insurance is mandatory in Japan, whether someone is a citizen, a permanent resident, or a non-Japanese individual with a visa residing in Japan longer than three months, they are all required to have insurance. Non-employed residents are required to apply for NHI within two weeks of becoming eligible. For example, if a person loses their job and is now unemployed, they are automatically withdrawn from an employment-based insurance, and the individual must enroll in an NHI plan within two weeks. Failure to do this will lead to charges up to two years of backpay. To apply for insurance, residents must go to the city office, where they will be issued an NHI card. NHI are assigned depending on the municipality where the individual lives. When NHI members retires or reaches 75 years of age (or 65 years for individuals with a disability) they qualify for medical care through the Long-Life Health Insurance System. Once an individual qualifies, an insurance card is supplied to them, and premiums are income-based. When it comes to childbirth, an NHI member is given an allowance to cover the charges of the birth, miscarriage, or stillbirth, and the hospitalization. If the cost of the birth surpasses the given allowance, the member is responsible for the rest. The Head of household, whether they are an NHI member or not, is responsible for the premium payments. Premiums are income-based. Similar to adults, NHI is also offered for children. Adult NHI members can include their children to their insurance. NHI can be processed at the local city office, if it is Employment-based Health Insurance, the employee must add the child as a dependent through their place of employment. NHI also controls rates by requiring every provider and hospital to abide by the government’s pre-designated fees, allowing Japanese residents to freely choose whom and where their care will be handled by.
Similar to Japan’s healthcare, Healthcare in the United States, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is also mandatory for all citizens. Individuals who do not have insurance must pay a penalty. Also, alike Japan, insurance companies can’t deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. All preventative care is fully covered by all insurance policies. Insurance companies are limited from raising their rates beyond 10 percent without a justifiable. When it comes to children and non-retired adults, there are many options for healthcare access. Priv...
