1.
medical expenses; healthcare costs
The costs incurred for medical treatment, including hospital fees, doctor visits, medication, and related healthcare services.
医療費が高い。
Medical expenses are high.
医療費の一部は保険で負担される。
A portion of medical expenses is covered by insurance.
高齢化に伴い、国の医療費は年々増加している。
As the population ages, the nation's medical expenses are increasing year by year.
A practical word frequently encountered in daily life, news, and government policy discussions. Japan's national health insurance system covers a significant portion of medical costs, making this term especially relevant when discussing copayments and out-of-pocket expenses.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 医療費を払う: to pay medical expenses
- 医療費の負担: burden of medical costs
- 医療費控除: medical expense deduction (for tax purposes)
- 医療費が{かさむ}: medical costs pile up
- 医療費明細書: medical expense statement
USAGE:
In Japan, citizens typically pay 30% of medical costs out of pocket under the national health insurance system (国民健康保険), with the government covering the rest. 医療費控除 allows taxpayers to deduct expenses exceeding a threshold on their annual tax return.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 治療費: treatment costs — specifically the cost of medical treatment, narrower than 医療費
- 診察料: consultation fee — the fee for seeing a doctor
- 薬代: medicine costs — specifically the cost of medication