Editing Universal health care (section)

===Japan===
Everyone in [[Japan]] is required to get a health insurance policy, either at work or through a community-based insurer. Eighty percent of Japan's hospitals are privately owned — more than in the United States — and almost every doctor's office is a private business, though 70% of all treatment is paid by the government.<ref>[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/05/25/news/national-health-insurance-a-basic-universal-safety-net/#.Ud4TC-24LlI National health insurance: a basic universal safety net], ''The Japan Times''</ref> "Private" in this case, however, is quite a bit different than in other countries: hospitals and clinics, by law, must be run completely by doctors and must be non-profit organizations. For-profit corporations aren't allowed to run hospitals or clinics. As well, health costs are tightly regulated by the government, and are negotiated by government officials and physicians--not insurance lawyers allowed. The tight regulation of costs is a big reason why the cost of healthcare in Japan is so low compared to almost everywhere else<ref>http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/health-care-abroad-japan/?_r=0</ref>.  

In Japan, waiting times are so short that most patients don't bother to make an appointment.