Diabetes Type 1 Support/Expenses

4 comments

1. Doctor’s visits, insulin, syringes, and some test strips are covered under the national health insurance, which in principle pays 70% of costs while you pay the remaining 30%.

   In practice, here is an example I found online:

   >【ケース３／インスリン療法＋経口薬療法＋血糖自己測定（月60回）】
   > インスリン療法は、薬剤の費用に、在宅自己注射指導管理料や血糖自己測定の指導管理加算などが加わり、月額の医療費は3万6,580円で、自己負担額（3割）は約1万1,000円。年間の自己負担は約13万2,000円。

   The total amount per month is 36,580 yen, of which you would be responsible for 30%, or approximately 11,000 yen per month. This is based on insulin injections and 60 tests per month.

   If you are using a CGM and an insulin pump, another source online lists the average out-of-pocket expense to you at about 32,000 yen per month.

   Note that after your medical expenses in a calendar year surpass 100,000, any further expenses are tax deductible. **Some** municipalities also offer support for some supplies and stuff, but that’s usually aimed at seniors and children; working-age adults are left to fend for themselves.

   Note that this is all just based on internet searches, and not my direct knowledge. My costs as T2D are about 7,000 yen every 6 weeks (one blood test and refills of my medicine), plus the cost of test strips that I import from Eastern Europe.

2. Be sure to read all the previous threads here about [**diabetes** ^{r/movingtojapan/search?q=+diabetes}](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/search?q=+diabetes+&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on)

   Also note that National Health Insurance caps medical costs around ¥30,000 per month depending on your income [^{/r/movingtojapan/search?q=diabetes+costs}](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/search?q=diabetes+costs&restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all)

   _________

   Also interesting is mention made by one of the mods here, [Hachihoshino.](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/j2yr03/health_insuranceprescriptions_advice_type_1/g79ajsq/) If your diabetes is very severe, you can apply for a waver of medical costs via the disability/handicap provisions in the health insurance.

   >[…](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/j2yr03/health_insuranceprescriptions_advice_type_1/g79ajsq/) for many chronic illnesses it’s possible to get registered for some form of “disability notebook” – basically a little official document which entitles you to, among other things, to free medications and much lower co-pays (sometimes zero for serious illnesses). This is definitely possible for some forms of diabetes, but I don’t know the precise details – it’s something you should discuss with your doctor when you’re settled in and registered with a clinic here.

   […](https://www.reddit.com/r/movingtojapan/comments/a0vurz/diabetes_type_1/eam3yhl/)>my partner’s dad has Type 2, and got a full reduction so he doesn’t pay a single yen out of pocket on his appointments or medications. Your doctor will be able to help you with the paperwork for this application once you get set up and properly diagnosed here.

3. It’s standard to pay a third of your expenses but there are ceilings that earn you tax deductions. I’m seeing a doctor at a public hospital every two months (different condition) and spend about 500 yen per specialist consultation and 6,000/month on medicine. I have also done full checkups with scans, full blood panels and specialist consult for under 10,000 yen so there are definitely a bunch of calculations I’m not aware of bringing it below 30%.

4. Hi. I have type 1. I pay about 9,000 yen for 3 months of fast acting insulin. The same goes for the slow acting.
   My insurance (as another redditor mentioned) pays for most of it. I pay the remaining 30%.