DOD civilians described a lack of staff, long waits, Japanese providers refusing to treat Americans and prohibitively high upfront costs when that treatment is available.
Defense Department civilian employees facing reduced health care options in Japan jeered Pentagon officials who provided few clear answers and no immediate solutions during a town hall Tuesday.
Japanese government officials and health care providers say they were not told in advance of a U.S. Department of Defense decision last year to force tens of thousands of its civilian employees into Japan’s health care system.
Defense Department civilian employees in Japan mounted an email and phone campaign aimed at reversing a Pentagon decision to reduce their access to medical care at military hospitals.