Osaka seeks travel insurance after ¥71.9 million

Osaka Prefecture has stepped up a campaign urging foreign visitors to buy travel insurance after unpaid medical bills at local medical institutions topped ¥71.9 million, according to reports citing a prefectural survey. The push is being carried out with the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau and centers on a Japan Travel Insurance product offered by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. The campaign began in May as Osaka continues to receive heavy inbound traffic tied in part to Expo 2025. The prefecture’s survey covered 285 medical facilities and counted unpaid bills from visiting foreigners in fiscal 2024. The Osaka campaign gives a local example of a wider issue Japanese authorities have been tracking. A Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare survey covering about 5,500 medical institutions found 11,372 foreign visitors received treatment in September 2024 and 0.8% did not pay, leaving about ¥61.35 million in unpaid charges, according to Kyodo-based reports. Separate reporting said the ministry was preparing to share information on foreign visitors with large unpaid medical bills with the Immigration Services Agency for stricter entry screening. (ourinsuranceworld.com) ### How is Osaka trying to get visitors to buy insurance? Starting in May, Osaka began distributing about 90,000 flyers at Kansai International Airport, tourist information centers and hotels across the city, according to the campaign details. The material promotes insurance that can be bought after arrival in Japan, a point Osaka appears to be emphasizing for travelers who entered without coverage. (vietnamnews.vn) The insurance promoted by Osaka covers medical treatment and repatriation expenses up to ¥10 million and starts at ¥800 per day, according to the campaign description. Travelers who buy through a QR code on the flyers are also eligible for a discount on the Osaka e-Pass, a sightseeing pass covering more than 25 attractions. ### Why did unpaid bills become a policy issue in Osaka? The ¥71.9 million figure came from a prefectural survey of 285 medical facilities, which said unpaid medical bills from visiting foreigners exceeded that amount in fiscal 2024. (ourinsuranceworld.com) Reports citing the survey said medical workers pointed to weak collection systems and poor communication about treatment costs before emergency care as factors behind the losses. Osaka’s tourism boom has added urgency. The region drew a record 17.6 million tourists in 2025, according to the same report, with Expo-related demand adding to visitor volumes. That influx increased the number of cases in which hospitals treated travelers first and then struggled to recover payment later. ### What are Japan’s national authorities doing? Japan’s health ministry has issued guidance encouraging medical institutions to provide foreign patients with clearer cost estimates before treatment, according to the Osaka campaign report. (ourinsuranceworld.com) Academic and media summaries of government measures also say medical facilities can report unpaid overseas-patient bills to authorities, part of a broader effort to prevent repeat nonpayment. The Immigration Services Agency has also been pulled into the response. Reports last year said the government was considering stricter re-entry screening for visitors with unpaid medical bills and reviewing whether private medical insurance should be required for foreign tourists. ### Where can travelers see the Osaka program now? The Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau is already carrying the insurance promotion on its official tourism site, which tells visitors that unpaid medical expenses can lead to entry restrictions and urges them to consider enrolling. (ourinsuranceworld.com) The current campaign materials are being distributed at Kansai airport, tourist information centers and hotels, with the Tokio Marine-linked product positioned as a same-trip purchase option for overseas visitors. (straitstimes.com) (osaka-info.jp)