Japan Civilian Medical Advocacy

09/15/2026

Thousands of dependents will now have access to appointment-finding, translation, and up-front payment assistance when seeking medical care off base! Thank you to Stars and Stripes for their consistent excellent reporting on this topic.

About 5,000 dependents in Japan will gain access to a Pentagon program that helps Defense Department civilians find and pay for medical care off base.

09/12/2026

The Temporary Pilot Health Insurance Enhancement has been extended for another year, and it is expanding to include dependents of eligible Department of War civilian employees.

Most importantly, the renewed program will expand coverage to dependents of eligible civilian employees, addressing one of the major gaps in the original pilot.

Originally established to improve access to healthcare for non-TRICARE-beneficiary DoW civilian employees in Japan, the program will now continue through September 29, 2027. The extension continues healthcare navigation services, guarantees of payment as opposed to upfront payments, and interpreter services.

This is an important step forward, and JCMA is grateful to everyone who has worked to improve healthcare access for the SOFA community in Japan.

However, some government employees and contractors are still not included. Healthcare access remains a challenge for many members of the workforce in Japan, and JCMA will continue working toward solutions that support the total force, including civilian employees, their families, and contractors.

This is progress, but our work isn't finished.

Join us tonight via Zoom to discuss our advocacy and how we are working to secure better medical access for the entire SOFA population at 7 PM JST: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82783514966?pwd=h20KThamRq9jRIeRNJ6lqX03UOyblw.1

09/11/2026

Sasebo healthcare update: Stars and Stripes has published a new report on ongoing healthcare access concerns at Branch Health Clinic Sasebo.

JCMA helped signal-boost concerns raised by patients in Sasebo and has been working to understand why patients were being turned away. The underlying DHA policy has not changed, but staffing shortages have significantly limited the number of space-available appointments for civilian patients.

Congress & DHA cannot keep asking healthcare providers to do more with less and expect patients not to pay the price. PCS season is not a surprise and should be planned for and managed.

Understaffed facilities, limited resources, and increasing demands force providers into impossible choices. When the system cannot meet the need, patients are denied care, delayed, and redirected even when care cannot be easily transitioned to Japanese facilities.

The answer is not to keep shifting the burden onto medical providers or patients. We need to adequately resource the healthcare system for our total workforce so providers can offer the care patients need and deserve.

The staffing shortages at Sasebo Naval Base are limiting appointments for DOD civilians, raising concerns about access to ongoing care and prescriptions.

09/08/2026

Are you one of the 137,000 civilian patients who received care at a military treatment facility between June 21, 2023, and 2026 and are now receiving a deferred bill?

Use this factsheet and see if you qualify to have the cost of your bills significantly reduced or waived. You must sign up via the link below.

08/21/2026

AFMS - Yokota - 374th Medical Group is receiving an upgrade as part of a Japan-wide effort to reduce emergency care gaps identified by JCMA and shared with the DoD and Congress in 2023. We will continue to advocate for increased resources for MTFs to ensure they can provide better care, including reliable, high-quality emergency care for every SOFA-status American.

"The move comes as the Pentagon has been strengthening emergency medical capabilities at U.S. installations across Japan. The Defense Department reported last year that it spent $10.8 million on improvements to on-base medical facilities in the country. Changes outlined in a 2025 report to a congressional defense committee included nine new active-duty paramedic billets at Yokota, Kadena and Misawa air bases, rotations of emergency physicians to Yokota and Misawa and a phased increase in trauma nurses."

The urgent care clinic at Yokota Air Base will move into larger quarters, giving it more room for patients and treatment.

08/17/2026

The Defense Health Agency has released a new Japan Patient Guidebook that lists available military health resources across Japan and includes a page focused on two programs that support space-available patients seeking care in Japan.

You can use the QR code or go directly to: https://dha.mil/JapanPatientGuidebook

08/14/2026

Are you one of the 137,000 civilian patients who received care at a military treatment facility between June 21, 2023, and 2026 and are now receiving a deferred bill?

Have you had your pay or tax refund garnished, or experienced other financial harm from similar bills without receiving proper notification? Was your insurance not billed in a timely manner, causing your claim to be denied?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, make sure you apply for the Military Health System Modified Payment and Waiver Program to determine whether you are eligible for a payment plan or for your bill to be waived, including any portion of the bill that your insurance refused to pay because of delayed billing.

Military Health System Modified Payment and Waiver Program Frequently Asked Questions

08/05/2026

Living overseas does not mean giving up your voice back home, especially on issues that directly affect our community.

Decisions about military healthcare, overseas support, and family services are made by people elected in the U.S., and your vote matters. If you are an American abroad, you can register and request your absentee ballot in just a few minutes through Vote From Abroad.

Every overseas ballot reminds lawmakers that military-connected families and civilians in Japan are paying attention. Make sure your voice is one of them.