Getting Insured

THERE's no information, at least through researching and asking various people for the past month on Japan's National Health Insurance (国民健康保険 / Kokumin Kenkou Hoken), on the definite percentage that will be charged to you. However, it is possible to be charged between 10% to 30% of your income for this insurance.

If you're posted to Japan, your organisation will most likely sign you up for an Employee Health Insurance Plan through the Social Insurance (社会保険 / Shakai Hoken) if you qualify for it.

If you're not covered, it is mandatory to apply for the National Health Insurance Plan.

Even if you have insurance coverage by independent providers, it is mandatory to get the National Health Insurance.

To apply this structure in local terms, Japan's National Health Insurance would be equivalent to Singapore's Medisave / Medishield etc. Independent Providers - NTUC / Great Eastern / AIG / Prudential etc.

I chanced upon a site where one guy wrote the following of his experience:

"... one should seriously consider enrolling at the one-year mark. Some foreigners, unaware of the law, have enrolled in public insurance after two or more years of living in Japan for reasons such as marrying a Japanese citizen or becoming self-employed, and have been faced with mandatory back payments of premiums for all the time they had lived in Japan without properly enrolling. Some weren’t shown any leniency even when they claimed ignorance of the requirement.

Enrollment in National Health Insurance is done at one’s local ward, town, or city office. Ward offices are found in wards of cities like Tokyo and are called kuyakusho (区役所). The Shibuya Ward office (渋谷区役所) is an example. Town offices are called yakuba (役場) and city offices are called shiyakusho (市役所)."

Monthly payment of the insurance can be done through the ATMs or the City Hall (市役所 / Shiyakusho).

To find out how this system works, refer to The Medical Insurance in Japan from Osaka City site for its brief but clear explanation on the estimated amount to pay for medical bills for an insured person.

More links can be found in the Helpful Tips page.

Update Wednesday, February 22, 2012

To apply for this insurance plan, you will need to go to your local ward/city office with your Alien Registration Card with the following phrase:

国民健康保険に加入したい。

Kokumin kenkou hoken ni kanyushitai.

I want (to apply for) National Health Insurance.

For newcomers to Japan, the National Health Insurance Plan provided by the government is inexpensive and has good basic coverage in the first year. For the first year living in Japan, the premium is generally around ¥2,000 per month for basic coverage. When you sign up, they will send you a payment stub booklet where you will take the corresponding month’s stub and pay the premium at the bank or post office(premiums and methods of payment may vary depending on where you live).

Unfortunately this is one bill you cannot pay at the convenience store. Enrollment requirements and information may vary depending on city/ward. Please check with your local municipal office for more information.

To enroll, your employer may issue a "National Health Insurance Enrollment Letter" written in Japanese that you may bring to the National Health Insurance/Pension Section of your local city/ward office.

Related Post:

Alien Registration Card ( 外国人登録証明書) & National Health Insurance (国民健康保険) : A follow-up