>> It’s a really weird experience to go to the emergency ward of one of the most famous children's hospitals in Japan and have the guy say ‘your bill comes to $0’ after.

Having lived in US and in a few countries with completely free healthcare, I'd have to correct you that the really weird experience is going to a hospital and getting a 6 figure bill.

A $100k+ bill in the USA would be weird too. Assuming you are insured (86%), most people would get a bill for $3k to $10k (including C section and epidural). Legally, the most it could be is $18k.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/health-insurance.htm

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-li...

Well I guess the remaining 14% of the population are just weird :)

I didn't mean only going to hospital for labor and birth.

> It’s a really weird experience to go to the emergency ward of one of the most famous childrens hospitals in Japan and have the guy say ‘your bill comes to $0’ after.

I would guess that’s only weird if you live in a country with only private medical care.

In a LOT of countries free, at the point of service, medical care is the norm.

I mean, I understand on one level that in lots of places medical professionals would refuse to treat a pregnant woman or a child without a source of funds. On another though it’s seems very alien to me.

I’ve tried to state that in plain, unemotional language but it is a “weird” concept here. I guess it’s just what you’re used to.

> I mean, I understand on one level that in lots of places medical professionals would refuse to treat a pregnant woman or a child without a source of funds. On another though it’s seems very alien to me.

You can't be turned away for lifesaving or critical procedures.

If you go to the hospital in labor, or with a gunshot wound, or an infected abscess, etc; they'll treat you (they're legally bound to). You get your bill after services rendered.

At least in California, you can also go to a myriad of clinics for free-cheap preventative services so your toothache doesn't turn into an abscess.

An obvious blocker still existing is that govt don't allow different surnames. Some couples don't marry due to this until pregnancy. Some right wings dislike the idea and they belong to long running ruling party.

That's interesting. I always thought economics were the number one reason why people don't have more children: it's extremely expensive. Why isn't the birthrate increasing despite all these incentives?

If you want your kids to go to what Japanese people consider good schools (private, extremely hard entrance exam), suddenly things become expensive quite rapidly. Fees for the school, but also tutoring to make them pass the exams in the first place. Then you get to university, and unless you go to a state university, that’s a ton of money again.

This was more to illustrate that it’s not for lack of governmental intervention.

I recently watched this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/_pAJMdx14V0

As an American, that delivery is comparatively cheap and extravagant, but it's hardly free.