2013 Global Health and Wellness Report - Kantar Health

National Health and Wellness Survey | Japan 182Population profileJJThe average life expectancy remains the highest inthe world. In 2012 it was 86.4 years for women and79.9 years for men.JJThe health situation in Japan remains one of thebest in the region.JJJapan is faced with two demographic crises: arapidly aging population and population decline. Lowfertility rates have persisted in Japan for severaldecades and are currently the second lowest in theworld.Life expectancy and causes of deathJJSince the 1980s, the advancement of the agingsociety has shifted disease patterns to lifestylerelateddiseases, such as cancer, heart disease,cerebrovascular disease and diabetes. Thesediseases account for 60% of mortality, and this trendis expected to continue.JJDue to the increasingly complex social environmentcreated by a high-tech and competitive society, itis said that stress levels felt by all age groups arerising, with around 30,000 suicides per year sincethe late 1980s.JJDifficult-to-treat infectious diseases, such astuberculosis, HIV and new types of influenza, arebecoming serious threats to public health in Japan.Healthcare systemJJPublic health services are provided by national andlocal governments.JJPatients are free to select the physicians or facilitiesof their choice; no referral is needed to see aspecialist.JJPrivate expenditure is a mix of out-of-pocketspending that includes the co-payments that all whoare publicly insured pay, the premiums paid by theirfamilies, and services not covered by public healthinsurance.Reimbursement policiesJJFees for medical services are standardizednationwide by the Medical Fee Table and those fordrugs by the National Health Insurance price.JJThe standard co-payment is 30% of all medicalfees incurred regardless of the type of treatmentreceived, including prescription drugs. A monthlymaximum ceiling exists for out-of-pocket expenses,after which the full cost of treatment is reimbursed.Japanwww.KantarHealth.com