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Using Health Insurance Claim Information for Evacuee Medical Support and Reconstruction After the Great East Japan Earthquake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2013

Shinichi Tanihara ,
Jun Tomio  and
Yasuki Kobayashi
Shinichi Tanihara*
Affiliation:
Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
Jun Tomio
Affiliation:
Department of Disaster Medical Management, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Yasuki Kobayashi
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Shinichi Tanihara, MD, PhD, Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, 7-45-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka 814-0180, Japan (e-mail [email protected]).
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Abstract

Objective

Loss of patient information can hinder medical care for evacuees and the reconstruction of medical facilities damaged by major incidents. In Japan, health insurance coverage is universal, and information about diagnoses and health care services provided is shared by the medical facilities, Health Insurance Claims Review and Reimbursement Services or the National Health Insurance Organization (NHIO), and the insurers. After the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, we interviewed officers in charge of NHIO in the 3 prefectures that were damaged by the earthquake and elicited how they assisted with medical care for evacuees and reconstruction of the damaged medical facilities.

Methods

Comprehensive interviews were conducted with officers in charge of the NHIO in the 3 prefectures to obtain information about the use and provision of health insurance claims data 3 to 4 months after the event. We then analyzed the official data concerning use of the information from the claims in chronological order.

Results

The NHIO headquarters in the 3 prefectures were not physically affected by the disaster, and their information on the health insurance claims was intact. Patient information acquired before the disaster was obtained from the health insurance claims and applied to the medical care of the evacuees. The information also was used to reconstruct patient records lost in the disaster.

Conclusion

The information that was obtained from health insurance claims was used to improve medical care after the large-scale disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–5)

Keywords

health insurance claimsmedical care supportevacueesGreat East Japan Earthquake
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 403 - 407
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

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