The coexistence of public and private medical institutions can be regarded as one of the main characteristics of Japan's medical services market. The market shares of private hospitals are 80 percent in the number of facilities, 70 percent in the number of hospital beds, and 60 percent in the...

This article surveys problems of the medical service market in Japan. First, the structure of the medical service market in Japan is considered in terms of supply, demand, and pricing. Then, the health insurance system, the coexistence of public and private medical institutions, the government's...