Public health insurance in Japan is currently financed through individual contributions, employer
contributions, and government subsidies. This system accounted for 84 percent of all health expenditures
in fiscal 1996. Health services for needy persons based on the Public Assistance Law of 1950 and public
funding for specific diseases and disorders such as tuberculosis, nuclear irradiation, and mental illness
accounted for 5 percent of all health expenditures. Direct patient payment for services not covered by
insurance was 12 percent.