I've been working and living in Okinawa Japan for over 20 years. My job was with the Civil Service as a GS employee on a military base. So I was not eligible for the Japanese insurance, no problem as I have a US insurance coverage. I do home hemodialysis through a tunnel cathier in my chest. My average dialysis bill including Doctor's visit, supplies, machine and reverse osmosis was about $4,000 US dollars. I normally do dialysis about 6 or 7 times a week at either 3 or 4 hours.
I just retired on Oct. 31st and applied for a Japanese spousal visa, my wife is from Okinawa. Got a call from immigration that my card was ready, they gave me a 5 year visa. With that card we went to the local city office where we live. My wife registered me with them, which allowed me to get a National Health Insurance card, also my Doctor informed them with a letter that I was a hemodialysis patient, in Japan they consider a hemodialysis patient as being disabled and will charge them a certain price. So I found out that my maximum charge will be about $100 a month. My insurance card charges for my family of 3 people is $35 a month.
I remember on my home visits to Hawaii and going to the Davita clinics and seeing my insurance bill of $19,000 per visit What is going on with the healthcare system in the USA?