Are these claims about Japan’s health system true?












14














The series of claims in the image below has been getting shared around Facebook and are posted from the "Illuminati Exposed" page.



The claims are in the image but I've listed them here





  • 100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income

  • They spend half what the USA does They get to choose their own doctor and see them twice as often as we do

  • They have the worlds longest life expectancy, and the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world

  • 95% of japans health care is non-profit

  • The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals




enter image description here



For many readers of Skeptics, Illuminati Exposed may not seem credible, but many of its readers consider it credible.










share|improve this question




















  • 2




    Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago










  • It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
    – jpmc26
    2 hours ago












  • @jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
    – user1605665
    31 mins ago
















14














The series of claims in the image below has been getting shared around Facebook and are posted from the "Illuminati Exposed" page.



The claims are in the image but I've listed them here





  • 100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income

  • They spend half what the USA does They get to choose their own doctor and see them twice as often as we do

  • They have the worlds longest life expectancy, and the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world

  • 95% of japans health care is non-profit

  • The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals




enter image description here



For many readers of Skeptics, Illuminati Exposed may not seem credible, but many of its readers consider it credible.










share|improve this question




















  • 2




    Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago










  • It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
    – jpmc26
    2 hours ago












  • @jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
    – user1605665
    31 mins ago














14












14








14


1





The series of claims in the image below has been getting shared around Facebook and are posted from the "Illuminati Exposed" page.



The claims are in the image but I've listed them here





  • 100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income

  • They spend half what the USA does They get to choose their own doctor and see them twice as often as we do

  • They have the worlds longest life expectancy, and the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world

  • 95% of japans health care is non-profit

  • The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals




enter image description here



For many readers of Skeptics, Illuminati Exposed may not seem credible, but many of its readers consider it credible.










share|improve this question















The series of claims in the image below has been getting shared around Facebook and are posted from the "Illuminati Exposed" page.



The claims are in the image but I've listed them here





  • 100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income

  • They spend half what the USA does They get to choose their own doctor and see them twice as often as we do

  • They have the worlds longest life expectancy, and the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world

  • 95% of japans health care is non-profit

  • The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals




enter image description here



For many readers of Skeptics, Illuminati Exposed may not seem credible, but many of its readers consider it credible.







healthcare japan public-health






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 7 hours ago









Laurel

10.5k54356




10.5k54356










asked 8 hours ago









user1605665

1,4792924




1,4792924








  • 2




    Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago










  • It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
    – jpmc26
    2 hours ago












  • @jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
    – user1605665
    31 mins ago














  • 2




    Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago










  • It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
    – jpmc26
    2 hours ago












  • @jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
    – user1605665
    31 mins ago








2




2




Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
– fredsbend
4 hours ago




Sources for claims don't have to be credible. They just have to have a wide reach. There needs to be evidence that a lot of people have heard and possibly believe the claim.
– fredsbend
4 hours ago












It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
– jpmc26
2 hours ago






It's worth noting that these metrics do not provide any real indication as to the actual quality of the healthcare system. Most are irrelevant to actual healthcare outcomes; the one that is actually affected by healthcare is also heavily influenced by factors other than the healthcare system. This is, at best, a severely insufficient picture for comparison.
– jpmc26
2 hours ago














@jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
– user1605665
31 mins ago




@jpmc26 yep get that, but being SSE I wanted to at least have a test for the direct claims. Sometimes even the direct claims are wrong
– user1605665
31 mins ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















21














The gist of it is true



Health Care System in Japan



"100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income"



This is partially true. All are mandated to have coverage, but that coverage is not 100%, and not all have the mandated coverage.




The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%.



All residents of Japan are required by the law to have health insurance coverage. People without insurance from employers can participate in a national health insurance programme, administered by local governments.



Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical fees, but fees are waived for low-income households receiving a government subsidy. Fees are also waived for homeless people brought to the hospital by ambulance.




"They spend half what the USA does"



True.



enter image description here



"They get to choose their own doctor"



True




Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage.




"They [...] see them twice as often as we do"



False... it is more than that.




Japan has about three times as many hospitals per capita as the US[31] and, on average, Japanese people visit the hospital more than four times as often as the average American.[31]




"They have the worlds longest life expectancy"



True.



List of countries by life expectancy puts Japan at #1.



"They have [...] the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world"



According to the CIA World Factbook, true.



"95% of japans health care is non-profit"



That depends on how you define "healthcare". According to the Wikipedia page...




Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.




...but healthcare can be about more than hospitals.



"The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals"



True, according to the Wikipedia page:




Medical fees are strictly regulated by the government to keep them affordable. Depending on the family income and the age of the insured, patients are responsible for paying 10%, 20%, or 30% of medical fees, with the government paying the remaining fee.3



Also, monthly thresholds are set for each household, again depending on income and age, and medical fees exceeding the threshold are waived or reimbursed by the government.






share

















  • 3




    However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
    – Kodos Johnson
    4 hours ago








  • 13




    @KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
    – aroth
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago



















1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









21














The gist of it is true



Health Care System in Japan



"100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income"



This is partially true. All are mandated to have coverage, but that coverage is not 100%, and not all have the mandated coverage.




The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%.



All residents of Japan are required by the law to have health insurance coverage. People without insurance from employers can participate in a national health insurance programme, administered by local governments.



Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical fees, but fees are waived for low-income households receiving a government subsidy. Fees are also waived for homeless people brought to the hospital by ambulance.




"They spend half what the USA does"



True.



enter image description here



"They get to choose their own doctor"



True




Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage.




"They [...] see them twice as often as we do"



False... it is more than that.




Japan has about three times as many hospitals per capita as the US[31] and, on average, Japanese people visit the hospital more than four times as often as the average American.[31]




"They have the worlds longest life expectancy"



True.



List of countries by life expectancy puts Japan at #1.



"They have [...] the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world"



According to the CIA World Factbook, true.



"95% of japans health care is non-profit"



That depends on how you define "healthcare". According to the Wikipedia page...




Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.




...but healthcare can be about more than hospitals.



"The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals"



True, according to the Wikipedia page:




Medical fees are strictly regulated by the government to keep them affordable. Depending on the family income and the age of the insured, patients are responsible for paying 10%, 20%, or 30% of medical fees, with the government paying the remaining fee.3



Also, monthly thresholds are set for each household, again depending on income and age, and medical fees exceeding the threshold are waived or reimbursed by the government.






share

















  • 3




    However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
    – Kodos Johnson
    4 hours ago








  • 13




    @KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
    – aroth
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago
















21














The gist of it is true



Health Care System in Japan



"100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income"



This is partially true. All are mandated to have coverage, but that coverage is not 100%, and not all have the mandated coverage.




The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%.



All residents of Japan are required by the law to have health insurance coverage. People without insurance from employers can participate in a national health insurance programme, administered by local governments.



Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical fees, but fees are waived for low-income households receiving a government subsidy. Fees are also waived for homeless people brought to the hospital by ambulance.




"They spend half what the USA does"



True.



enter image description here



"They get to choose their own doctor"



True




Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage.




"They [...] see them twice as often as we do"



False... it is more than that.




Japan has about three times as many hospitals per capita as the US[31] and, on average, Japanese people visit the hospital more than four times as often as the average American.[31]




"They have the worlds longest life expectancy"



True.



List of countries by life expectancy puts Japan at #1.



"They have [...] the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world"



According to the CIA World Factbook, true.



"95% of japans health care is non-profit"



That depends on how you define "healthcare". According to the Wikipedia page...




Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.




...but healthcare can be about more than hospitals.



"The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals"



True, according to the Wikipedia page:




Medical fees are strictly regulated by the government to keep them affordable. Depending on the family income and the age of the insured, patients are responsible for paying 10%, 20%, or 30% of medical fees, with the government paying the remaining fee.3



Also, monthly thresholds are set for each household, again depending on income and age, and medical fees exceeding the threshold are waived or reimbursed by the government.






share

















  • 3




    However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
    – Kodos Johnson
    4 hours ago








  • 13




    @KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
    – aroth
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago














21












21








21






The gist of it is true



Health Care System in Japan



"100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income"



This is partially true. All are mandated to have coverage, but that coverage is not 100%, and not all have the mandated coverage.




The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%.



All residents of Japan are required by the law to have health insurance coverage. People without insurance from employers can participate in a national health insurance programme, administered by local governments.



Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical fees, but fees are waived for low-income households receiving a government subsidy. Fees are also waived for homeless people brought to the hospital by ambulance.




"They spend half what the USA does"



True.



enter image description here



"They get to choose their own doctor"



True




Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage.




"They [...] see them twice as often as we do"



False... it is more than that.




Japan has about three times as many hospitals per capita as the US[31] and, on average, Japanese people visit the hospital more than four times as often as the average American.[31]




"They have the worlds longest life expectancy"



True.



List of countries by life expectancy puts Japan at #1.



"They have [...] the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world"



According to the CIA World Factbook, true.



"95% of japans health care is non-profit"



That depends on how you define "healthcare". According to the Wikipedia page...




Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.




...but healthcare can be about more than hospitals.



"The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals"



True, according to the Wikipedia page:




Medical fees are strictly regulated by the government to keep them affordable. Depending on the family income and the age of the insured, patients are responsible for paying 10%, 20%, or 30% of medical fees, with the government paying the remaining fee.3



Also, monthly thresholds are set for each household, again depending on income and age, and medical fees exceeding the threshold are waived or reimbursed by the government.






share












The gist of it is true



Health Care System in Japan



"100% of Japanese people have their healthcare regardless of income"



This is partially true. All are mandated to have coverage, but that coverage is not 100%, and not all have the mandated coverage.




The health care system in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%.



All residents of Japan are required by the law to have health insurance coverage. People without insurance from employers can participate in a national health insurance programme, administered by local governments.



Uninsured patients are responsible for paying 100% of their medical fees, but fees are waived for low-income households receiving a government subsidy. Fees are also waived for homeless people brought to the hospital by ambulance.




"They spend half what the USA does"



True.



enter image description here



"They get to choose their own doctor"



True




Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage.




"They [...] see them twice as often as we do"



False... it is more than that.




Japan has about three times as many hospitals per capita as the US[31] and, on average, Japanese people visit the hospital more than four times as often as the average American.[31]




"They have the worlds longest life expectancy"



True.



List of countries by life expectancy puts Japan at #1.



"They have [...] the second lowest infant mortality rate in the world"



According to the CIA World Factbook, true.



"95% of japans health care is non-profit"



That depends on how you define "healthcare". According to the Wikipedia page...




Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.




...but healthcare can be about more than hospitals.



"The Japanese government caps fees for medical services and pharmaceuticals"



True, according to the Wikipedia page:




Medical fees are strictly regulated by the government to keep them affordable. Depending on the family income and the age of the insured, patients are responsible for paying 10%, 20%, or 30% of medical fees, with the government paying the remaining fee.3



Also, monthly thresholds are set for each household, again depending on income and age, and medical fees exceeding the threshold are waived or reimbursed by the government.







share











share


share










answered 7 hours ago









MichaelK

8,47233842




8,47233842








  • 3




    However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
    – Kodos Johnson
    4 hours ago








  • 13




    @KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
    – aroth
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago














  • 3




    However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
    – Kodos Johnson
    4 hours ago








  • 13




    @KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago






  • 2




    At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
    – fredsbend
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
    – aroth
    4 hours ago






  • 3




    @KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
    – MichaelK
    4 hours ago








3




3




However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
– Kodos Johnson
4 hours ago






However the correlation between life expectancy and universal healthcare seems questionable IMO. There are probably cultural factors that contribute to this.
– Kodos Johnson
4 hours ago






13




13




@KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
– MichaelK
4 hours ago




@KodosJohnson Does not matter. The question was whether the claim was true.
– MichaelK
4 hours ago




2




2




At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
– fredsbend
4 hours ago




At the risk of parroting @kodos, I'd also warn against the false cause logical fallacy here. It does matter, Michael. Skeptics should rightly note that surprising facts seemingly related are not proof of causation.
– fredsbend
4 hours ago




3




3




@KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
– aroth
4 hours ago




@KodosJohnson Given that the graphic is framed as "universal healthcare isn't scary", I think the implied claim around life expectancy is less "universal healthcare increases life expectancy" and more "universal healthcare isn't a barrier to high life expectancy". Which, unless someone has proven a negative correlation between universal healthcare and life expectancy, is fair enough.
– aroth
4 hours ago




3




3




@KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
– MichaelK
4 hours ago




@KodosJohnson No, because the question is not whether there is a connection. The question is: are the claims true.
– MichaelK
4 hours ago



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