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

Only the following clearly external (traumatic) injuries are covered by health insurance.

* Conditions due to internal (medical) disorder are not covered by health insurance.
* Any injury must not have become chronic to be covered by health insurance.

●Bone fractures, dislocations

* A doctor's consent is required except in cases in which the treatment is provided as first aid.

●Bruises, sprains, contusions (torn muscles, etc.)

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.

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 Organization 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 directly applies for payment on your behalf, note that you must still sign the Application Form for Medical Care Expenses yourself as the patient. 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.

Process when using health insurance at a bonesetter's clinic or other such facility

• Correctly describe the date and cause of the injury
  Health insurance cannot be used except for sprains, bruises, contusions (muscle tears), and fractures / dislocations (emergency first-aid only). Nor does it cover injuries sustained at work or while commuting, or injuries caused by Third parties such as in an automobile accidents.
• Do not receive treatment for an injury at a medical institution, and in parallel undergo procedures at a bonesetter's clinic or other such facility on the same injury
  Health insurance does not cover repeated treatment on the same injury.
• In the case that no improvement is seen in symptoms despite continuing to receive treatment (for a period of approx. 1 month), seek treatment at a medical facility.
  The cause of the symptoms could be an illness, so it is best to be examined by a doctor.
• Check that the information on the application form for medical care expenses is correct before signing
• Be sure to obtain a receipt
• Compare the notification of medical care expenses with your receipt