• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998

1

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living

2

Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs

3

Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
Healthheat wave

Climate change’s freakishly hot summer is leading to a new type of insurance coverage—for heat stroke

Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 26, 2022, 11:51 AM ET
A man walks on the street using a towel and a portable fan to protect himself from the sun and the heat on June 30 2022, in Tokyo's famous Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan.
A man walks on the street using a towel and a portable fan to protect himself from the sun and the heat on June 30 2022, in Tokyo's famous Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan.David Mareuil—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

News flash: it’s really hot this summer.

And it’s not just in Europe and the U.S. where people are suffering through one of the hottest summers ever. Japan has seen one of its hottest summers on record this year, leading to thousands of hospitalizations for heat-related medical issues.

Some Japanese insurance companies are taking advantage of the situation, offering daily coverage for consumers who are worried about heat stroke.

Sompo Holdings and Sumitomo Life Insurance both started offering policies designed to cover any medical expenses that may arise from heat stroke this year, Bloomberg first reported.

Sumitomo Life Insurance began its heat-stroke insurance plan in April. It can cost just 100 yen, or 73 cents, for coverage that can be purchased on a day-to-day basis and covers medical costs caused by excessive heat. Sumitomo’s plan was the first of its kind in Japan, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg. 

The company saw an incredible 1,600% increase in the sales of its daily heat-stroke coverage during the final week of June from typical levels, The Japan News reported. The rise came during a week when Japan’s heat wave was so bad that Tokyo saw a six-day streak of 95-degree Fahrenheit plus days, the longest since 1875, and more than 14,000 people were hospitalized with heat-related medical issues.

Sompo’s heat-stroke insurance plan was released after the worst of the heat wave, on July 6. It pays policyholders if they are hospitalized, have surgery, or even die as a result of excessive heat exposure. Demand for the plan has been higher than the company anticipated, Sompo spokeswoman Shoko Oda told Bloomberg.

Japan’s heat wave has been so bad this summer that Japan’s Meteorological Agency was forced to call an end to the country’s annual summer rainy season earlier than in any year since the agency began keeping records in 1951.

Japan’s health ministry, which is known for being conservative, also told consumers that they didn’t need to wear face masks outside due to the increased risk of heat stroke.

“Unless they are having close conversations, we urge people to remove their face masks if they are commuting to work or school on foot or by bicycle, or when they are walking, running or doing radio gymnastics and other exercises,” health minister Shigeyuki Goto said at a June 21 news conference, The Asahi Shimbun reported.

The ongoing heat wave in Japan has even put pressure on the country’s electrical grid. Japan imports 90% of its energy needs, and with energy costs soaring worldwide, the government declared a three-month energy-saving period in June to try and avoid blackouts. Officials have requested that businesses make cuts to their power usage, and consumers set their AC units as high as 82 degrees and even turn off heated toilet seats to conserve energy.

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
Will Daniel
By Will Daniel
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Health

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Health

He used to work 90-hour weeks and lost ‘years’ of his life. Now the US Polo Assn. CEO clocks off at 5:30 p.m. and won’t text his team on weekends 
SuccessDay in the Life of a CEO
He used to work 90-hour weeks and lost ‘years’ of his life. Now the US Polo Assn. CEO clocks off at 5:30 p.m. and won’t text his team on weekends 
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 5, 2026
14 hours ago
Photo: Paris, france
Environmentclimate change
Brutal heatwave in France is killing 2,000 people per week, undertakers are overwhelmed, and health agency says there’s worse to come
By John Leicester and The Associated PressJuly 3, 2026
2 days ago
Opti-Greens 50 Review (2026): Insights from Hands-On Testing
HealthDietary Supplements
Opti-Greens 50 Review (2026): Insights from Hands-On Testing
By Christina SnyderJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
A man shaves wood pieces from a block.
EconomyRetirement
Economists have found an answer to slowing cognitive decline: Avoid retiring early, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
The Best Compact Ellipticals of 2026: Tested by Fitness Fanatics
HealthDietary Supplements
The Best Compact Ellipticals of 2026: Tested by Fitness Fanatics
By Emily PharesJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
The 6 Best Exercise Bikes of 2026: Fitness Expert Reviewed
HealthDietary Supplements
The 6 Best Exercise Bikes of 2026: Fitness Expert Reviewed
By Christina SnyderJuly 1, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
Success
Even as Elon Musk calls philanthropy ‘very hard,’ everyday Americans gave a record $617 billion—despite feeling the squeeze over the cost of living
By Preston ForeJuly 4, 2026
2 days ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
3 days ago
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
AI
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
Success
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
3 days ago
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
Investing
The stock market is about to suffer a 'snapback' and will lose much of this year's gains as 'speculation is hitting extreme levels,' BofA warns
By Jason MaJuly 5, 2026
3 hours ago
Russia's fuel crisis is so bad that a mom and her baby waited in line for 18 hours to get gas — 'Are we in the Soviet Union?'
Energy
Russia's fuel crisis is so bad that a mom and her baby waited in line for 18 hours to get gas — 'Are we in the Soviet Union?'
By Jason MaJuly 4, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.