Types of health insurance in Japan

In Japan, medical examination and treatment insurance is divided into 2 types and every citizen must participate in one of those 2 types of insurance.

Mar 19, 2022 - 21:41
Feb 16, 2024 - 10:56
Types of health insurance in Japan

1. Medical examination and treatment insurance
In Japan, medical examination and treatment insurance is divided into 2 types and every citizen must participate in one of those 2 types of insurance. Maybe many of you do not know, in Japan the cost of medical examination and treatment is very expensive, so participating in insurance is very important because insurance will pay most of the hospital costs for you.

2. National health insurance
Subjects participating
Persons with status of residence for more than 3 months
Persons who have the status of residence for less than 3 months (not registered for stay) but under the category of touring, trainees, etc., are allowed by the local government to stay in Japan for more than 3 months.
Procedures for joining the national health insurance

Time to join: When joining, when moving to another place, when giving birth, when not participating in social insurance

Necessary documents include: Residence card, if you do not have a residence card you must have a certificate of residence for more than 3 months)

Insurance cost
Depending on the area, the province you live in, the Japanese government will calculate the appropriate cost for you. This cost will not be fixed but will vary depending on your family composition, income level in the previous year

3. Medical regime for the elderly
Participants
In Japan, people over 75 years old will be able to transfer themselves to a medical regime specifically for the elderly. Not only Japanese people, foreigners who have the status of residence for more than 3 months and have registered to stay are also automatically changed to this type of insurance.

Procedure to join
One advantage of this insurance is that you do not need to do anything. 1 month before your 75th birthday, the insurance card will be sent to you
Furthermore, people between 65 and 74 years old with a recognized disability are also eligible for this health benefit if they apply for

Insurance cost
Depending on the area, the province you live in, the Japanese government will calculate the appropriate cost for you. This cost will not be fixed but varies depending on your family composition, income level in the previous year. The amount of insurance costs will be deducted directly from the pension if the salary is more than 15,000 yen, if below, a notice of the insurance costs will be sent to you by post.

4. Care insurance
Participants of this type of insurance include:
People over 65 years old are entitled to the 1st insurance. People from 40 to 64 years old are entitled to participate in public health insurance or a second insurance. Foreigners residing in Japan for more than 3 months
Persons who have the status of residence for less than 3 months (not registered for stay) but under the category of touring, trainees, etc., are allowed by the local government to stay in Japan for more than 3 months.

Insurance cost
People 65 years old: Those with a pension of 15,000 yen/month or more will be deducted from their salary, if less than 15,000 yen, they will have a notice and pay directly to the locality.
People from 40 to 64 years old: will calculate the health insurance premium to participate and pay 1 time.

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