[Japan's First] Seamless Support for Foreign Patients from Reception to Payment

Netstars Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Go Ri, hereinafter "Netstars") and VoxAI Japan Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Sen Ko, hereinafter "VoxAI" *to be renamed Daisybell Japan Co., Ltd.) have agreed to jointly develop and have commenced work on Japan's first (※) integrated solution to seamlessly support foreign patients "from reception to payment," with the cooperation of the Japan International Medical Coordination Association (Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Representative: Noriko Yamada, hereinafter "JIMCA"). This solution aims to significantly reduce the operational burden on medical sites and resolve the escalating problem of unpaid medical bills by combining 24/7 multilingual reception support by autonomous AI agents with a pre-payment (authorization) function that secures credit for medical expenses before consultation. By covering everything from pre-arrival support for foreign patients to post-consultation settlement within a single system, it is expected to contribute to the establishment of a safe and sustainable medical provision system for medical institutions, medical professionals, and patients alike, anticipating not only medical inbound patients but also foreign patients who suddenly seek medical attention during their stay in Japan.

(※) As a SaaS-type system in Japan that integrates AI multilingual automated response and authorization payment to prevent unpaid medical bills (company research)

■ Background: Rapidly increasing foreign patients and 1.3 billion yen in unpaid medical bills

With the increase in foreign visitors to Japan and medical inbound tourism, establishing a reception system for foreign patients at medical institutions has become an urgent issue. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (FY2024), the total amount of unpaid medical bills from foreign patients at hospitals that responded to the survey reached approximately 1.3 billion yen. Particularly for inpatient care for foreign visitors, the average amount per case exceeds 3 million yen, indicating a serious impact on management.

Furthermore, from April 2026, the reporting standard for the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's "Unpaid Information Reporting System" will be significantly lowered from the conventional "200,000 yen or more" to "10,000 yen or more," indicating that the administration is also demanding stricter management of unpaid bills. There is also a demand for medical institutions to proactively establish systems for handling foreign patients, which traditionally had to rely on travel medical support companies.

■ Main Features of This System

This system covers everything from pre-arrival support for foreign patients to post-consultation settlement, digitalizing the reception and accounting operations of medical institutions end-to-end. By providing the following functions as a one-stop solution, it simultaneously achieves reduced on-site burden and resolution of unpaid bill risks.

1. Multilingual telephone and reception support by AI agent

Instead of mere voice guidance, an "AI agent" that autonomously operates to achieve specific business goals handles the initial response to foreign patients via phone and web.

　・24/7 Multilingual Support: Supports major languages including Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, enabling smooth communication even when staff are absent or at night.

　・Visualization and Sharing of Conversation Content: Interview content is immediately summarized and digitized in Japanese, and can be checked in real-time on the management screen.

2. Reduction of unpaid bill risk through medical deposit (pre-authorization)

The "authorization (securing credit limit)" mechanism, commonly used in accommodations, is optimized for medical institutions and provided as a measure against unpaid bills.

　・Credit Securement Before Consultation: By temporarily holding the estimated medical fee amount on a credit card before consultation, it suppresses the risk of unpaid bills from foreign visitors who are difficult to collect from after returning home.

　・Smooth Settlement Process: After the consultation, sales are finalized based on the confirmed amount, and if there is a difference from the temporarily held amount, the difference is automatically refunded (credit release).

■ Expected Effects

The introduction of this solution is expected to reduce both the operational burden and management risks for medical institutions associated with foreign patient care, bringing the following benefits to each stakeholder:

　・Medical Institutions: In addition to reducing costs for multilingual telephone and reception support, it can suppress the risk of unpaid bills for high-cost self-pay treatments in advance.

　・Medical Staff: The burden of language barriers and accounting troubles is reduced, creating an environment where they can concentrate on their primary duties of medical care and patient interaction.

　・Patients: Provides peace of mind with 24-hour multilingual consultation and a smooth, transparent cashless payment experience.

■ Future Outlook

This system is scheduled for pilot introduction at national university hospitals and private general hospitals from May 2026 onwards. By combining Netstars' payment and financial infrastructure, VoxAI Japan's AI voice and dialogue technology, and JIMCA's knowledge of medical and foreign patient care, we aim to implement a highly effective solution tailored to the practical needs of medical sites.

Through the provision of this solution, we will contribute to the establishment of a sustainable medical provision system in Japan as an international city.