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Three national health-insurance or medical-cost programs, plus child medical-cost support in Osaka City and Nagoya City.
The High-Cost Medical Expense Benefit (高額療養費制度) is a public health insurance benefit that reduces the out-of-pocket cost of insured medical treatment once your monthly payment exceeds a cap based on age and income. It applies to people enrolled in Japan's public health insurance system. This article reflects the system as revised in August 2026, with a further review scheduled for August 2027.
The Sickness and Injury Allowance (傷病手当金) is a cash benefit paid through Japan's employee health insurance system. It is not a benefit shared by all members of municipal National Health Insurance. It supports employees who cannot work because of a non-work-related illness or injury, replacing part of their income while they recover. Because eligibility and amounts depend on individual circumstances, this article explains the main conditions and where to confirm details officially.
Jiritsu Shien Iryo (Seishin Tsuin Iryo), or self-support medical care for psychiatric outpatients, is a public medical-cost support scheme that reduces the out-of-pocket cost of outpatient treatment for people who need ongoing care for a mental illness, including epilepsy. You submit your application through your local municipal (city/town/ward) office, but approval and the certificate are issued by the prefecture or designated city with authority over the program; a diagnosis alone does not automatically qualify you.
Osaka City's child medical expense subsidy (こども医療費助成制度) reduces, but does not eliminate, the out-of-pocket cost of insured medical care for children living in Osaka City. Applicants still pay up to ¥500 per day at each institution, capped at ¥2,500 combined per month. The household income limit was abolished starting April 2024.
Nagoya's child medical expense subsidy (名古屋市子ども医療費助成制度) reduces the insured copayment for children who live in Nagoya City and are enrolled in health insurance, up to the end of the fiscal year they turn 18. There is no income limit, but children eligible for disability medical assistance or single-parent family medical assistance, those receiving livelihood protection, and those in a child welfare facility are not eligible for this subsidy.