医療費(いりょうひ)

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(いりょうひ)を払(はら)う: to pay medical expenses
• 医療費(いりょうひ)の負担(ふたん): burden of medical costs
• 医療費(いりょうひ)控除(こうじょ): medical expense deduction (for tax purposes)
• 医療費(いりょうひ)がかさむ: medical costs pile up
• 医療費(いりょうひ)明細書(めいさいしょ): 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(こくみんけんこうほけん)), with the government covering the rest. 医療費(いりょうひ)控除(こうじょ) allows taxpayers to deduct expenses exceeding a threshold on their annual tax return.

Similar words

• 治療費(ちりょうひ): treatment costs — specifically the cost of medical treatment, narrower than 医療費(いりょうひ)
• 診察料(しんさつりょう): consultation fee — the fee for seeing a doctor
• 薬代(くすりだい): medicine costs — specifically the cost of medication