First-time patients without a medical record or referral letter from a previous clinic or medical institution are required to pay an additional 8,800 yen for a selective treatment (i.e. non-referral) fee at the first visit. This system was established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to promote efficiency at medical institutions by encouraging initial visits at local clinics and further advanced and specialized medical care at hospitals with over 200 beds.

Selective Treatment Fees for First Consultations, Revisits, and After-Hour Visits

※ A referral may be required to make an appointment regardless of the need to pay these fees. Thank you for your understanding.

Selective Treatment Fees for First Consultations and Revisits

Under Article 5, Paragraph 3 of the Health Insurance Act’s Rules for Professionals in Charge of Healthcare Services under Health Insurance Programs, advanced treatment hospitals are in general obligated to collect a certain amount of fees in cases of patients making an initial visit to this hospital without a referral (medical information form) (including non-urgent, after-hour visits), when a patient is referred to another department without an in-hospital referral from a department where they are undergoing treatment, and when continuing to visit this hospital even after one’s symptoms have subsided and their doctor has offered to refer them to another medical institution. Because this hospital is an advanced treatment hospital, we will be collecting selective treatment fees for first visits and revisits in accordance with this system.

*1　What are first consultations?

First Consultations (as defined by the Health Insurance Act)

• Undergoing a medical consultation at St. Luke’s International Hospital for the first time
• Revisiting St. Luke’s International Hospital after one’s treatment period has already ended (the patient has recovered)
• When first consulting with a department differing from that currently providing treatment
• When re-consulting with a department after previously stopping treatment at one’s own will

*Patients are charged separate first visit selective treatment fees for consultations for different areas of medicine such as dental, internal medicine, and surgical care as they are differentiated under the Health Insurance Act.

(Additional Information)

Cases in which previous symptoms have subsided or the patient stops undergoing treatment are deemed as recovered. The length of time after which a patient is considered to have recovered will depend on the illness. In some cases, an illness may be deemed as recovered after at least one (1) month has passed since the patient’s last visit.

Patients who bring a medical information form (referral) from a medical facility other than this hospital will not be charged the selective treatment fee.

Those receiving assistance under the Public Assistance Act or those eligible to receive public assistance for designated illnesses, disabilities, etc. will not be charged selective treatment fees for first visits. However, of the public funds, those receiving assistance for medical care for infants (marunyu), school-aged children (maruko), or single-parent households (maruoya) will be charged selective treatment fees for first consultations. Thank you for your understanding.

Selective Treatment Fee for After-Hour Visits

Patients at this hospital will be required to pay a selective treatment fee for after-hour visits for non-urgent, after-hour consultations outside of the hours indicated by insurance medical institutions. Selective treatment fees for first consultations will also be collected for eligible patients. We ask for your cooperation in seeking appropriate medical assistance during clinic hours.

*2　Examples of patients requiring emergency treatment

• When a patient that was discharged from the hospital requires emergency treatment after said discharge related to the illness for which they were hospitalized
• When emergency treatment is required in connection with surgery, procedures, or tests performed at this hospital (outpatient surgery, tests using contrast agents, nuclear medicine tests, catheterizations, biopsies, cystoscopy, bronchoscopies, hysteroscopies, embryo transfers, artificial inseminations)
• When a patient is undergoing treatment for malignant tumors at this hospital and requires urgent medical attention related to their treatment
• When a patient scheduled to give birth at our hospital or a patient at one of our semi-open system partner clinics requires emergency treatment related to pregnancy

Notes

Once your condition is resolved or if treatment is discontinued, this will be considered as a healed state. Depending on the condition, we may consider it healed one month after the final appointment date.

※ Those with a medical record from another clinic / medical institution, and those receiving medical assistance under the Public Assistance Act will be exempt from this system.

※ Those enrolled in subsidy programs for the elderly, infants, or single parent households will be required to pay the Specified Medical Care Coverage fee.

For the first-time patients, please bring this “Registration Form” with you:
You can download it online.