Frequently Asked Questions

In the United States, there is essentially no system known as a "ningen dock" (comprehensive medical examination). There is no established practice of performing detailed, whole-body screening tests for the purpose of early disease detection. Therefore, you cannot receive a ningen dock even if you visit a typical American primary care physician or hospital.However, some Japanese-affiliated medical facilities in various regions do offer Japanese-style comprehensive medical examination services. Please check each facility's website or contact them directly for details.

American health insurance is designed for the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses and injuries. Submitting insurance claims for comprehensive blood tests, X-rays, gastric examinations, or ultrasound scans for purely screening purposes when a patient has no symptoms is prohibited by law.“Physicians are required to only order those tests that they believe are medically necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of their patients. A physician who orders medically unnecessary tests for which insurance reimbursement is claimed may be subject to civil penalties.”This is a rule established by American health insurance, including public insurance such as Medicare. Submitting insurance claims for tests that are not necessary for diagnosing or treating symptoms actually reported by the patient is not permitted. While American health insurance does have a system called a physical exam for an annual check-up, the tests covered are limited to the bare minimum mandated by insurance. For example, blood tests are restricted to blood lipids like cholesterol unless there is a special reason. Naturally, you cannot receive a chest X-ray or stomach examination. This falls far short of the health check-up that we Japanese envision, and it is no exaggeration to call it little more than basic body measurements. People accustomed to the regular health check-up systems routinely practiced in Japan will find this completely unsatisfactory.What our center provides is the familiar Japanese-style ningen dock (comprehensive medical examination). To deliver high-quality health check-ups without being constrained by the limitations of American health insurance, we offer this as a private service. Taking into consideration the susceptibilities to diseases specific to Japanese people, we have prepared efficient plans to detect conditions such as stomach cancer at an early stage. In fact, quite a few early-stage cancers have been discovered through our services thus far.In some cases, special contracts are established between companies and health insurance providers to cover at least a part of the Japanese-style ningen dock. Aside from such exceptions, and from the standpoint of adhering to the regulations of the American healthcare insurance system, our center's ningen dock services are, as a rule, not billed to insurance.

Depending on the type of health insurance you have, your policy may specifically provide benefits for Japanese-style comprehensive medical examinations (ningen dock). Representative examples of such insurance include Cigna Global Insurance and Aetna International Insurance. However, even with these insurance plans, coverage will not apply unless your employer has established a special contract with the insurance company for comprehensive medical exam benefits. For details, please inquire with your company's HR representative or contact the insurance company directly.

Wait times vary depending on the season. Normally, if you contact us 1 to 2 months in advance, we can secure an appointment on your preferred date. However, appointments become extremely busy, especially around the end of the year and the end of the fiscal year, so please apply 2 to 3 months in advance.

The time required depends on the health check-up plan you choose. A basic plan takes just under an hour, while a plan that includes a transnasal gastroscopy takes about 2 to 2.5 hours. For more details, please ask our reception desk when applying.

It is completely fine to bring your small children along. We have private waiting rooms reserved exclusively for ningen dock patients that you are free to use. You can watch new Japanese TV programs on the television, and internet access is also available so you can view your favorite content on your own devices.

If you can share your health check-up item list with us, we will provide appropriate advice. The examination plans prepared by our clinic are merely basic guidelines, and we will provide a cost estimate after reviewing your specified items. Regarding blood test items and other details, you can also add or remove tests after consulting with the attending physician on the day of the exam. We will recommend test items based on your age, gender, medical history, and any symptoms or concerns you may have.

In the United States, routine breast cancer screening via mammogram generally starts at age 40. Undergoing a mammogram at age 39 or younger is typically not permitted. This is associated with the considerable radiation exposure involved with mammograms. As an exception, individuals with a family history of breast cancer within a second-degree relative are permitted to begin at age 35. The starting age for a mammogram is determined by weighing a person's individual risk of developing breast cancer against the risk of developing breast cancer from radiation exposure. For the same reason, imaging facilities will not accept orders unless strictly one year or more has passed since the previous examination. On the other hand, the U.S. does not have a practice of screening for breast cancer using ultrasound. Ultrasound is positioned strictly as an additional follow-up test when a suspicious lesion is found on a mammogram.To detect breast cancer early, it is recommended to perform a self-examination of both breasts every month starting around the age of 30. By continuing regular self-examinations, you become familiar with the structure of your breasts, making it possible to notice small, unusual changes and leading to the early detection of breast cancer.

The standard guidelines in the U.S. are as follows:It is well known that the majority of cervical cancers are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Therefore, once a person reaches a sexually active age, cervical cancer screening is indicated. Following that, if annual tests are negative (normal) for three consecutive years and both partners are mutually monogamous, the testing interval can be extended to once every three years. However, if an abnormality such as ASC-US is found, an HPV test is performed concurrently. If the HPV test is negative, a repeat cervical cancer check-up is recommended in one year; if it is positive, a detailed examination called a colposcopy by a gynecologist is advised.Depending on your health insurance, coverage may not apply unless strictly one year has passed since your previous examination. Please contact your insurance provider for details.