第一条（目的）
The purpose of this Act is to provide insurance benefits for sickness, injury or death other than employment injuries (meaning employment injuries as provided for in Article 7, paragraph (1), item (i) of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act (Act No. 50 of 1947)) or childbirth of a worker or a dependent thereof, thereby contributing to the stability of lives and the improvement of welfare of the people.
この法律は、労働者又はその被扶養者の業務災害（労働者災害補償保険法（昭和二十二年法律第五十号）第七条第一項第一号に規定する業務災害をいう。）以外の疾病、負傷若しくは死亡又は出産に関して保険給付を行い、もって国民の生活の安定と福祉の向上に寄与することを目的とする。
第二条（基本的理念）
The health insurance system, in view of the fact that it is the basis for the medical insurance system, must be implemented in response to the aging of the population, changes in disease structure, changes in the socioeconomic situation, etc., by constantly examining the concept of the system in conjunction with other medical insurance systems and the medical care system for elderly persons as well as systems closely related thereto, through integrated efforts by streamlining the operation of the medical insurance, optimizing the details of benefits and sharing costs, and improving the quality of medical treatment that citizens undergo based on the results thereof.
健康保険制度については、これが医療保険制度の基本をなすものであることにかんがみ、高齢化の進展、疾病構造の変化、社会経済情勢の変化等に対応し、その他の医療保険制度及び後期高齢者医療制度並びにこれらに密接に関連する制度と併せてその在り方に関して常に検討が加えられ、その結果に基づき、医療保険の運営の効率化、給付の内容及び費用の負担の適正化並びに国民が受ける医療の質の向上を総合的に図りつつ、実施されなければならない。