I hurt my back on the weekend, went to an Orthopedic clinic 接骨院, the only place opened in my town. They helped me out, reduced the pain. The treatment was OK, but I felt weird about everything else.
They split the treatment to insurance covered and not covered part. They tried very hard to tell me how bad my posture is (they were not wrong) and sign me for multiple treatments and a “free pass” for up to a year. They also had a checklist with items like: “You can’t go to a hospital for another treatment and then come back here”.
After I got home I got a message to come back to sign insurance claim form. I went back only to be asked to sign an empty form. The form was legit, I checked it at the ministry of health and labour website. But I was always taught not to sign empty documents and there was nothing on the form – not my name, no treatment information, no prices.
One of the workers there explained to me they only fill the forms once per month, and they only need my signature. They will fill everything else later. I said I will be happy to come back once the previous treatment is filled in the form and cancelled today’s appointment.
Is this common in Japan? Is the clinic running some insurance fraud? Am I just paranoid? Raised and lived in much less safe countries with plenty of scammers made me extra cautious.
5 comments
Sounds super sketchy and I would never sign a blank form either, wtf. Personally I’ve ever had any clinic or doctor ask for this ever.
Dump and forget them. Those places are just in it for the cash (source: me when I was dumb and didn’t know the difference between it and a real clinic). If you’re still hurting go to a real clinic around you that’s open now. Not sure which kind for your back though. A seikeigekka? Anyone know for sure?
It is possible to use your health insurance at a 接骨院, but your health insurance provider will be mightily unhappy that you did so. They’ll send you some additional forms asking you to explain what physical ailment led you to go to the 接骨院.
I’d suggest a visit to a regular 整形外科 if possible.
This sounds pretty normal – most 接骨院 do not have medical doctors that passed national certification, legally they are more like glorified massages. They ask you to sign your name so that they can control the information sent for health care auditing and they can get their refund. If they give you the full form and you write something that wouldn’t end up getting them the refund (like “I just wanted a massage” instead of “I was in a car accident and require medical treatment on my lower back”) they could and likely will lose their ability to get govt handouts and would be forced to set up a private, unlicensed business.
Them giving you a checklist is to further minimize their audit risk, like if the same health insurance ID is receiving treatment for the same problem from multiple clinics in a short period of time it can trigger an audit.
The worst thing that will happen to you is you get a letter in the mail asking to confirm your treatment (no doubt your clinic explained to bring this in to them and they would take care of it), which nothing happens if you don’t answer.
If you have a serious problem with your back my recommendation is look up a 柔道整復師 which are nationally qualified chiropractors. If you are a bit more remote and have no other options you can continue going to that place if it’s helping you, just keep in mind they are a business first which is why they were asking you to buy the multiple visit ticket thing and some other promotions, and will likely be giving you the sales talk each time you go.
I’ve had long-term treatment a two different 整骨院 (aka 接骨院). What you’ve described is standard. It’s for insurance purposes and there’s nothing fraudulent going on.