Japan's Ministry of health and welfare includes 3D printing organ model into the scope of medical insurance payment

Source: Tiangong society 2016-01-28 Abstract: in order to ensure that as many citizens as possible can get the medical aid they need, the central social insurance Medical Council under the Ministry of health, labor and welfare of Japan has announced this week that 3D is used for auxiliary medical treatment and operation The cost of printing organ models will be standard medical treatment.. In order to ensure that as many citizens as possible can get the medical aid they need, the central social insurance Medical Council under the Ministry of health, labor and welfare of Japan announced this week that 3D is used for auxiliary medical treatment and operation The cost of printing organ models will be covered by standard medical insurance Today, 3D printed medical models have helped many surgeons around the world plan and prepare for complex and risky operations, giving them the opportunity to practice on full-scale models tailored to their organs before patients enter the operating room to understand potential risks and possible complications With the help of advanced CT image data and 3D scanning technology, doctors have been able to accurately reconstruct customized medical models of various human organs Although 3D printing of organ models is good for doctors and patients, it also has an obvious disadvantage - cost Although 3D printing technology is often hailed as saving time and cost, it is usually when the relevant hospital already has a 3D printer and required accessories - not to mention skilled 3D scanning experts or 3D printer operators The fact is that in most health care systems, the initial purchase costs of 3D printing systems, as well as the subsequent operating costs and material costs, are expensive, and these costs are often ultimately passed on to patients or their families By including the cost of 3D printing organ models into the insurance coverage this time, Japan's medical system will be able to help countless patients get the advanced medical services they need Although the specific payment details may have different requirements according to different diseases, there is no doubt that this is a big step forward for Japan's medical 3D printing industry, which will make 3D printing medical model a common auxiliary medical tool in Japanese hospitals In addition to 3D printing organ model, the central social insurance Medical Council of Japan also included 13 other advanced medical technologies into the national medical insurance payment scope, including proton therapy for children's cancer, heavy particle radiotherapy, Da Vinci robotic surgery system, etc.