When visiting a bonesetter's clinic or other such facility
You might use a bonesetter's clinic (osteopathic clinic) to treat a sprain or bruise. However, the extent of cases in which you can use health insurance at such clinics is very limited, since a bonesetter's clinic or similar facility is not an insurance medical care facility and the judotherapists who provide such care are not physicians.
Cases in which you can use health insurance
You can use health insurance only for acute, traumatic injuries and only in the following five cases:
● Sprains ● Bruises ● Contusions (such as pulled muscles) ● Bone fractures ● Dislocations
Cases in which you cannot use health insurance
Since you cannot use health insurance in the following cases, you must cover the entire cost of treatment yourself.
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Case 1
You are treated at a neighborhood bonesetter's clinic for stiff shoulders due to fatigue from daily activities.
You cannot use health insurance for medical treatment of mere stiff shoulders or muscular fatigue. -
Case 2
You are treated at a bonesetter's clinic for a knee injury dating back from several years ago that flared up again.
You cannot use health insurance for cases such as aftereffects of past injuries or traffic accidents. -
Case 3
You visit a bonesetter's clinic in the hopes of speeding recovery from an injury for which you are currently being treated at a medical care institution.
You cannot use health insurance at the bonesetter's clinic or similar facility if you are being treated for the same injury at a medical care institution. -
Case 4
You repeatedly visit a bonesetter's clinic to treat long-term joint pain.
You cannot use health insurance for treatment with no specific aim and no signs of improvement over extended periods. -
Case 5
You visit a bonesetter's clinic for pain attributable to conditions like neuralgia or rheumatism.
You cannot use health insurance to treat pain or other conditions caused by an illness or injury for which treatment at a medical care institution is more appropriate. -
Case 6
You are taken to a nearby bonesetter's clinic for a bone fracture sustained on your way home from work.
Worker's Accident Compensation Insurance covers injuries sustained while commuting or at the workplace and similar cases. See this page for more information.
Be sure to check the specific information concerning your treatment
In principle, the costs for treatment at a bonesetter's clinic or similar facility are handled as “Medical Care Expenses” for which the patient must pay the entire amount him or herself, then apply to the Health Insurance Society for reimbursement of 70% of the amount. However, for convenience, a judotherapist working at a bonesetter's clinic or similar facility that has concluded an agreement with the prefecture may apply for direct payment of medical care expenses. In such cases, you will simply pay a copayment of 30% in principle, just like at an insurance medical care facility.
Even if the judotherapist applies directly for payment, note that you must sign or affix your seal to “the Application Form for Medical Care Expenses”. When requesting payment in this way, be sure to check to confirm that information (e.g., cause and location of the injury) is correct. (Do not sign blank applications.)
Be sure to obtain a receipt
A bonesetter's clinic or similar facility is required to issue receipts free of charge. Always obtain a receipt, just as if you were undergoing treatment at a medical care institution.
While the receipt will ideally provide detailed indications of the amount of each treatment item to allow future review of treatment specifics, a detailed receipt may cost extra in certain cases.
You may receive inquiries from the Health Insurance Association (through Taisho Audit Co., and Gulliver International Co., an outsourcing company.).
The Health Insurance Association contracts with an outsourcing company for practical operations related to the actions of a third party.
An outsourcing company may contact you in writing or by telephone to inquire about and confirm details of the actions of third parties and other information. Your cooperation with such inquiries is requested.
Personal information will be protected in accordance with the Society’s Privacy Policy.