Reimbursement in Japan

Reimbursement for Medical Devices in Japan
Reimbursement for Pharmaceuticals/Drugs in Japan

Almost all medical devices and pharmaceuticals/drugs sold in Japan are ultimately paid for by Japan's National Health Insurance (NHI) system. In fact, it is illegal in almost all cases for Japanese to buy medical products that the Japanese government has not set up reimbursement for.

Medical reimbursement in Japan is complicated. For medical devices, some products are reimbursed indirectly through procedure fees, while others receive reimbursement based on global prices. There are various reimbursement classes ranging from A to F. Obtaining favorable reimbursement for novel Western products can be difficult due to the government's desire to constrain rising healthcare costs.

Reimbursement levels for drugs are recommended by the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (Chuikyo), and enacted based on that recommendation by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW). Chuikyo is a consultative group consisting of representatives of the government, the public, the medical profession, and various other specializations.

PBM can devise and implement a reimbursement strategy to obtain optimal pricing for your product in Japan. PBM can help balance optimal pricing issues with time to market.

For more information on reimbursement in Japan, please see the following PBM publications and/or contact us to discuss your specific needs.

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