Health Care

United States Naval Hospital Yokosuka can be reached at DSN 315-243-7144 or 011-81-46-816-7144 from the U.S. The Dental Clinic can be reached at DSN 315-243-8808 or 011-81-46-816-8808 from the United States.

The USNH serves military and Department of Defense civilian personnel throughout mainland Japan. Services include primary care, ancillary, emergency, Educational and Development Intervention Services, circuit providers, specialty care, the Storks Nest and dental services.

When you move, TRICARE moves with you. No matter where you go in the world, TRICARE is there before, during and when you get to your next duty station.

There are steps you need to take to make sure changes to your TRICARE coverage go smoothly. Understand that when you move, you may have to use a different TRICARE option. Visit TRICARE Moving to learn more.

Before you move, you should take care of any routine medical needs, including immunizations, and fill your prescriptions so you have enough while traveling. If you need care during your move, visit TRICARE Getting Care When Traveling to learn what to do.

Filling prescriptions while traveling

You should refill prescriptions before traveling. But if you run out of a prescription drug while traveling, visit TRICARE Filling Prescriptions When Traveling.

Getting dental care while traveling

Getting dental care while traveling depends on your location and whether you are a service member or family member.

• If you are an active-duty service member within the United States or in U.S. territories, and near a military installation, you may be able to get emergency dental care at the dental treatment facility, or DTF, if available. If not, contact the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Care Program before you see a dentist and tell the contractor about your move. You will need to get an authorization before you see a dentist. The Active Duty Dental Care Program will work with you, so you can get care from a local network dentist.
• If you are an active-duty service member at an overseas location, call the TRICARE overseas regional call center to get authorization before you see a civilian dentist.
• If you are an active-duty family member within the United States, in U.S. territories or at an overseas location, you can find out if any nearby military dental treatment facility treats active-duty family members. If you're enrolled in the TRICARE dental program, call the TRICARE dental program contractor or visit their website to find a provider. You will need to get an authorization before you see the dentist.

With permanent change of station orders, ask for a copy of your medical and dental records from your military treatment facility and the dental treatment facility. Do this at least one month before your PCS date. The MTF should also transfer a copy of your record and any family records to your new duty station or you may be able to hand carry them to your new duty station.

If you want someone else to be able to get medical or dental information on you or your family while you are moving, you need to complete a DD Form 2870, "Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information."

For more information on getting copies of medical records, visit TRICARE Request Copies of Medical Records.

Medical Care

It is very important to ensure that your family members enroll in TRICARE Prime Overseas upon arrival. To enroll, stop by the TRICARE Service Center in Building 1400 and you will be provided with information about the TRICARE program; or you can call DSN 315-243-7144 or 011-81-46-816-7144. We also encourage you to update the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System with your new address information.  Do not disenroll from your local TRICARE service region prior to transfer. You may have to seek care en route to your next duty station.

United States Naval Hospital Yokosuka serves military and Department of Defense civilian personnel throughout mainland Japan. In addition to the hospital in Yokosuka, the USNH has branch clinics at Sasebo, Iwakuni, Atsugi, Yokohama (Negishi), Chinhae (Korea) and Camp Zama Army Base.

The USNH staff includes several medical and surgical specialists, but some specialized non-elective treatment is beyond the capability of the Naval hospital and patients must sometimes be sent to the U.S. via the Medical Air Evacuation system or to Japanese hospitals for treatment.

Anyone with major medical problems or chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes or psychiatric disorders should not be allowed to travel to Japan. People with asthma, for example, can suffer terribly in the polluted atmosphere of the Tokyo area. Some cases are aggravated by the occasionally high seasonal pollen count. Mention these health issues during your Overseas Medical Screening process along with what Exceptional Family Member category you may be in. 

The hospital on Yokosuka base staffs a 24-hour-a-day emergency room that dispatches ambulances on base and off base for bona fide emergencies. They can be contacted at DSN 315-243-5137 or internationally at 011-81-46-816-5137. The ER sees patients by triage; patients are evaluated on arrival and will be seen based on the severity of their medical needs. For their safety and the safety of other patients, unattended children who are not patients should not be brought to the hospital.

Dental Care

Branch Dental Clinic Yokosuka is co-located with Headquarters, United States Naval Dental Center Far East. The dental clinic is located on the second floor of the U.S. Naval Hospital, Yokosuka, in Building E-1400. Call the clinic at DSN 315-243-8808 or internationally at 011-81-46-816-8808.

This clinic treats shore-based active-duty personnel and command-sponsored family members of both fleet and shore personnel stationed in the Yokosuka area. Active-duty personnel attached to ships without dental facilities on board receive general dentistry care at the Fleet Dental Annex in the Fleet Recreation Center in Building 3008 and may be referred to the Branch Dental Clinic for specialty care.

Normal hours of operation for the dental clinic are Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Morning and afternoon sick calls are held for diagnosis and treatment of dental problems. In addition, a dental officer is on call for true dental emergencies that occur after hours.

To expedite the check-in process, it is recommended that all family members acquire a complete military dental record during the overseas screening process prior to transferring overseas.

In the event some specialties are not available at the Military Treatment Facility, they may be available in the local Japanese community at costs that fluctuate with the dollar-yen exchange rate. TRICARE maintains a list of doctors and dentists to refer you to that are part of the TRICARE system in the surrounding communities.