The Defense Department is counting on the contractor that provides health care for military members overseas to create a provider network in Japan that accepts civilian employee health insurance without crippling upfront payments.

The Department of Defense announced a one-year pilot program this week in a bid to help 11,000 civilian employees in Japan navigate and defray the cost of medical care in the country. 

Last year’s decision to defer medical billing for Department of Defense civilians has left hundreds confused and concerned about debt, according to the Japan Civilian Medical Advocacy group.

The immunization clinic at Kadena Air Base reopened this week after an investigation into ineffective vaccines administered May 3 through July 29.

The 459th Airlift Squadron and the 374th Medical Group at Yokota Air Base used a UH-1 Iroquois, or Huey, to fly a critically ill patient from Yokota to Yokosuka Naval Base in record time for emergency care.

Japanese hospitals are denying health care for Defense Department civilians and military personnel once every two days, on average, according to a recent report by the Japan Civilian Medical Advocacy group. 

Two U.S. senators and a representative remain concerned about gaps in health care access for Defense Department civilians in Japan, they said in a recent letter to the Defense Health Agency.

The 7-year-old daughter of an Okinawa-based Marine died last year after being denied medical care at Japanese hospitals, prompting an investigation that found lack of care has sometimes proved fatal for Defense Department personnel in Japan.

American military bases across Japan are likely to copy an Army program that employs interpreters to help U.S. civilians obtain off-post health care, according to the Army’s top general in the country.

The U.S. military community must navigate hurdles to access health care, both at home and abroad, according to a recent report from the Defense Department’s Office of the Inspector General.