Does Japan's Public Health Insurance Refund Medical Bills in Bali?

Yes, but only partly and not on the spot: Japan's public health insurance refunds treatment abroad through the kaigai ryōyōhi (海外療養費) scheme, after you have paid the full bill in Bali and filed a claim back in Japan. The amount is based on what the same treatment would cost in Japan minus your usual co-payment, so a large bill from a Bali international clinic will almost never come back in full.

Who can claim kaigai ryōyōhi?

Members of Japan's public health insurance: National Health Insurance (Kokumin Kenkō Hoken, or Kokuho) run by municipalities, and employee schemes such as Kyōkai Kenpo and company kumiai. You must have fallen ill or been injured while travelling, not gone to Bali for treatment. Only treatment that Japanese insurance would also cover counts.

How much will be refunded?

Saitama City's guide for Kokuho members (checked 2 November 2026) explains the formula. Officials compare two figures: what you actually paid in Bali, and the standard cost of the same treatment in Japan. The smaller figure is used, minus your co-payment. For most working-age adults the co-payment is 30%, so the most you get back is about 70% of the Japanese fee. The exchange rate is the selling rate on the date the payment is approved, not the date of treatment.

For example, an emergency consultation plus an IV drip for severe diarrhoea at an international clinic in Kuta can cost several million rupiah. The Japanese fee for similar care is usually much lower, so the refund may cover only a small share of the bill. For typical Bali prices, see what a doctor or ER visit costs without insurance.

What is not covered?

• Treatment outside Japanese insurance coverage and private room surcharges.
• Cosmetic surgery, expensive dental materials and orthodontics.
• Trips taken for the purpose of treatment.
• Injuries from traffic accidents, fights, or third-party and illegal acts (these go through a separate procedure).
• Medical evacuation, air ambulance and the trip home. The scheme does not touch these at all.

Which documents should you get from the Bali clinic?

This is the step people miss most. Get everything before you leave Bali, because arranging it by email from Japan is much harder.

• Form A, medical treatment statement (診療内容明細書), completed and signed by the doctor.
• Form B, itemised receipt statement (領収明細書), also completed by the clinic.
• Original receipts.
• Passport copies of the photo page and entry and exit stamps.

Forms A and B are downloaded from your city or insurer's website, so bring printed copies from Japan. You need one sheet per month, per patient, per facility, with outpatient and inpatient care kept separate. Every foreign-language document needs a Japanese translation showing the translator's name and address. Clinic fees for completing the forms and translation costs are yours.

What is the deadline and where do you send it?

The right to claim expires two years from the day after you paid the clinic, according to Kyōkai Kenpo and Saitama City. Kyōkai Kenpo members are encouraged to apply online, and paper forms go to the Kanagawa branch. Kokuho members apply at the city or ward office where they are registered. Saitama says payment usually arrives at the end of the third month after the application month, and errors on the forms can lead to rejection.

So do you still need travel insurance?

Yes. Kaigai ryōyōhi never pays upfront. Travel insurance, or the insurance attached to many Japanese credit cards, can offer cashless treatment at partner hospitals. Japanese insurance guides warn that cashless service often does not apply at non-partner facilities or for small bills, so call your insurer's assistance line before you go to the clinic. What to check in a policy is covered in do you need travel insurance for Bali.

On language: documents from the Consulate-General of Japan in Denpasar (an October 2019 presentation and a June 2022 list) name BIMC Kuta, BIMC Nusa Dua and Kasih Ibu Hospital Denpasar as facilities with Japanese-language contacts. Those lists are a few years old, so confirm directly with the hospital that the service still exists. If the doctor wants a follow-up in a few days, staying near Kuta or Nusa Dua is easier, and an AccessiaPass hotel voucher can soften the cost of those extra nights.

Australian readers can compare with the very different rules on Medicare in Bali.

FAQ

Can I claim medicine bought over the counter at a Bali pharmacy? Usually not, because the scheme counts treatment by a doctor recorded on Forms A and B. Medicine prescribed by the doctor and listed in the statement is more likely to count.

The Bali clinic will not fill in the Japanese forms. What now? Ask for a signed medical summary and itemised bill in English, then ask your insurer in Japan whether they will accept it. The answer differs between insurers.

Do Korean travellers have a similar scheme? This article covers Japan only. Members of other countries' insurance should read their own insurer's rules before departure.