As many of you know, I live in Japan.
While working at school some teachers and I were setting up a fence around the pool and I got my hand jammed in between two very heavy pieces of metal.
I went to the doctor and they recommended I get an x-ray. My American ass was like “oh fuck last time I was offered an x-ray in the states it would cost me upwards of $1000 because that was my deductable. (:
I did the X-ray and guess what it cost in Japan? (: (: (:
$13 motherfuckin dollars.
The last time I was in Japan I was on a student visa and I had the government insurance. I started having bad chest pains, and went to a clinic where they did blood work and referred me to the hospital. That trip cost $13.
The next day I go to the hospital to see a better doctor, and he orders more blood work, an ultrasound, and a 24 hour Holter monitor. The ultrasound gel was warmed up, and the technician covered my bare skin with a warm towel while she was taking the ultrasound, and I got a nice warm towel to wipe away the gel. Then I got the monitor put on with a different nurse.
I got the bill the next day when I returned the monitor.
$98. For a doctors visit, extensive blood work, an ultrasound, and a 24 hour heart rate monitor.
Later in the year I went to the ER for more severe chest pain and I think I payed a total of $10 for an EKG and time to rest and be monitored. This is one of the main reasons I am going back at the end of the month for work.
