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  • February

    Zama City General Hospital, located outside the gates of Camp Zama, is a frequented healthcare provider for Department of Defense civilians to seek medical assistance. The hospital has been recently renovated to include space for new technology and added rooms for patients. Numerous Japanese hospitals often offer their services to foreign clientele and feature English-speaking staff members and are familiar with American personnel. Photo courtesy of Zama City General Hospital.

    A friendly guide to visiting a Japanese doctor

    The thought of seeing a foreign doctor in a foreign country while navigating a foreign healthcare system can understandably leave Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and their families living and working in Japan in a state of worry. The intimidation of venturing off-installation to see Japanese healthcare providers is an experience many opt to avoid to the detriment of their own health and peace of mind.
  • From left, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense Health Agency, Ms. Seileen Mullen, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Hon. Gilbert R. Cisneros, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Heck, the director of Department for Health Affairs Region Indo-Pacific to Japan, and Maj. Gen. JB Vowell, U.S. Army Japan Commanding General, receives a question from a Department of Defense civilian, during a ‘space available’ town hall, January 31, 2023. The town hall was held in response to DoD civilians being restricted to ‘space available’ clinic visits after a mandate released in 2017 prioritized active-duty Servicemembers and their families, or those who were covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime.

    Defense Health Agency to Japan: "We Hear You!"

    It’s no secret that Department of Defense civilians working in Japan are having a difficult time navigating healthcare options in Japan. This is due to restrictions placed on the usage of military-operated hospitals and clinics whose administration and management has recently fallen to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The agency received a mandate from Congress in 2017 instructing them to prioritize treatment for active-duty service members, their families, and others covered by the military health plan TRICARE Prime, a service only available to Servicemembers on active duty, their immediate family, or as a benefit for someone who is retired from the military.