Japanese for Travel Insurance: Asking 'Does This Cover Medical Expenses?'
Learn intermediate Japanese to ask whether a travel insurance policy covers medical expenses, clarify coverage limits, and discuss exclusions at a counter or on the phone.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Travel insurance conversations in Japanese often happen under pressure: at a rental car counter, a clinic reception desk, or on the phone after a problem. This lesson gives you a small, precise set of patterns for asking whether medical expenses are covered, what the coverage limit is, whether cashless treatment is possible, and whether a specific activity is excluded. You will practise the key question 医療費は対象ですか (iryōhi wa taishō desu ka) and the related noun 補償 (hoshō, coverage) and 免責 (menseki, exclusion). The focus is on polite, clear spoken Japanese that service staff and insurers actually use.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether a policy covers medical expenses using 医療費は対象ですか。
- ask about the coverage limit and whether cashless payment is available.
- check whether a specific activity or condition is excluded from coverage.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
医療費は対象ですか。
Are medical expenses covered?
IRYŌHI wa TAISHŌ desu ka。
The core question. 対象 (taishō) means 'covered, eligible, subject to coverage' in insurance contexts. Use it at a counter or on the phone.
補償の上限はいくらですか。
What is the coverage limit?
HOSHŌ no JŌGEN wa IKURA desu ka。
補償 (hoshō) is the standard word for insurance coverage or compensation. 上限 (jōgen) means upper limit.
キャッシュレスで受けられますか。
Can I receive treatment cashless?
KYASSHURESU de UKERAREMASU ka。
Useful at a clinic. キャッシュレス is common in Japanese insurance and medical contexts for direct billing without upfront payment.
この活動は免責ですか。
Is this activity excluded from coverage?
KONO KATSUDŌ wa MENSEKI desu ka。
免責 (menseki) means an exclusion or non-covered item. Use it for activities like scuba diving or skiing.
保険金を請求したいのですが。
I would like to file an insurance claim.
HOKENKIN o SEIKYŪ shitai no desu ga。
保険金 (hokenkin) is the insurance payout. 請求する (seikyū suru) means to claim or request. The のですが ending softens the request and invites a response.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern [noun] は対象ですか asks whether something is covered. Replace the noun to check different items: 医療費は対象ですか (Are medical expenses covered?), 入院費は対象ですか (Are hospitalisation costs covered?), 盗難は対象ですか (Is theft covered?). To ask about the limit, use [noun] の上限はいくらですか: 補償の上限はいくらですか (What is the coverage limit?). For exclusions, use [noun] は免責ですか: スキューバダイビングは免責ですか (Is scuba diving excluded?). These three patterns cover most counter questions.
When to use it
Use 対象ですか when you want a yes-or-no answer about coverage. Use 上限はいくらですか when you need a number, for example 五百万円 (gohyaku-man en, five million yen). Use 免責ですか when you suspect an activity or pre-existing condition may not be covered. At a clinic, ask キャッシュレスで受けられますか before treatment, because many Japanese clinics require payment first and reimbursement later. If the answer is unclear, ask もう一度お願いします (mō ichido onegaishimasu) rather than guessing.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
すみません、この保険で医療費は対象ですか。
Excuse me, are medical expenses covered by this insurance?Sumimasen, kono hoken de IRYŌHI wa TAISHŌ desu ka。はい、対象です。ただし、補償の上限は五百万円です。
Yes, they are covered. However, the coverage limit is five million yen.Hai, TAISHŌ desu. Tadashi, HOSHŌ no JŌGEN wa GOHYAKU-MAN EN desu。キャッシュレスで受けられますか。それと、スキューバダイビングは免責ですか。
Can I receive treatment cashless? Also, is scuba diving excluded?KYASSHURESU de UKERAREMASU ka. Sore to, SUKYŪBA DAIBINGU wa MENSEKI desu ka。キャッシュレスは提携病院のみです。ダイビングは免責なので、別の保険が必要です。
Cashless is only at partner hospitals. Diving is excluded, so you need separate insurance.KYASSHURESU wa TEIKEI BYŌIN nomi desu. DAIBINGU wa MENSEKI na node, BETSU no HOKEN ga HITSUYŌ desu。A little context goes a long way
Japanese insurance staff often distinguish 補償 (hoshō, coverage) from 保証 (hoshō, guarantee); they sound identical, so context and kanji matter. At clinics, キャッシュレス usually means direct billing only at 提携病院 (teikei byōin, partner hospitals), not everywhere. Politeness matters: use ですます forms and avoid blunt 対象？ or 免責？ even if you hear staff use them among themselves.
One thing to watch for
Using カバーしますか (kabā shimasu ka) to ask 'Does this cover medical expenses?'
Try this instead: カバー is understood in casual loanword usage, but insurance documents and staff normally use 対象 or 補償. Say 医療費は対象ですか or 医療費は補償の対象ですか. For example, この保険は医療費をカバーしますか is understandable but less precise than この保険で医療費は対象ですか.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask whether hospitalisation costs are covered?
Show a sample answer
入院費は対象ですか。
入院費 (nyūinhi) means hospitalisation costs, and 対象ですか asks whether it is covered. 入院費は補償の対象ですか is also correct and slightly more formal.
2How do you ask the coverage limit?
Show a sample answer
補償の上限はいくらですか。
補償の上限 (hoshō no jōgen) is the coverage limit, and いくらですか asks the amount. You may also hear 限度額 (gendo-gaku) in documents, which is a valid alternative.
3How do you check whether skiing is excluded?
Show a sample answer
スキーは免責ですか。
免責ですか asks whether something is excluded. スキーは対象外ですか is also correct; 対象外 (taishō-gai) means 'not covered' and is common in written policies.
Memorise three questions: 医療費は対象ですか, 補償の上限はいくらですか, and これは免責ですか. They let you confirm coverage, limits, and exclusions clearly in Japanese.
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