Job Discussion Forums

[Dooly]

Hi,

I'm going to Nagoya with ECC pretty soon, and I am looking into buying Global Health Insurance. Most people seem to think it's pretty good.

I wondered what level most people get - gold, silver or bronze? I'm 37, so it's starting to get kind of expensive at that age range!

[kitano]

I personally go for bronze. I feel like I:m insuring myself against serious injuries and sicknesses not small things so I would rather pay the lower premium. If you think is is expensive try national health! BTW even though the government doesn:t enforce it usually, you are required to join national health so by using Global instead you are also running the risk of the government asking for back payments at a later date. Buyer beware!

[canuck]

[kitano]

All residents of Japan must join, private insurance does not count. However the confusion arises from the complete disorganization of the Japanese bureaucracy so they do not enforce this rule completely. Also foreigners do not compute and are such a big hassle that many city halls especially small ones just let it slide. But make no mistake it does happen that city halls will make or try to make you pay for 2 years of back payments. If you are using private insurance(like me) it is just a small risk you take.

[JimDunlop2]

It's not so much a disorganized beaurocracy as it is a "gray area" and a loophole... I would not worry about getting asked for backpayments under most circumstances.

[canuck]

[Dooly]

Thanks for the information, all. Yeah, I've read you're supposed to have government approved health insurance, but I haven't read about anyone getting in trouble for not having it yet, so I'll run the risk.

[quote="canuck"]

[kitano]

Here is some information from official sources to back up my opinion.

www.city.chiyoda.tokyo.jp/english/e-guide/health.html You are fundamentally required to join the National Health Insurance System upon your arrival in Japan. If there is a delay in your application, you may be requested to make payments for past insurance fees due.

www.city.chiyoda.tokyo.jp/english/e-guide/health.html In Japan, everyone is required to join either the National Health Insurance Program or the Workers� Health Insurance Program. Foreign residents who plan on staying in Japan for one year or longer are also required to join the National Health Insurance Program

www.city.meguro.tokyo.jp/english/livingguide/lg04.htm All foreign residents registered in Meguro City must join the NHI scheme. They may not join or withdraw from the scheme at will. (These rules do not apply, however, to persons who have joined a health insurance scheme at their place of work, or to their family members, visitors, people staying for less than one year or diplomats.)

www.city.tsukuba.ibaraki.jp/hp/e_hp/guide/healthinsurance.html Foreign nationals who will stay in Japan for over one year and who are not enrolled in other public insurance systems are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance (NHI, kokumin hoken) plan�If you fail to sign up for national insurance immediately after your arrival in Japan, when you eventually do sign up you will be charged retroactive payments from the time that you arrived.

[ndorfn]

Ouch! That would hurt, having to retrospectively pay back a few years. When I registered my marriage at city hall, they asked about health insurance, and I told them I had private cover. They seemed happy with that. Thankful for their complacency.

To the OP, I didn't think globalhealth still had the bronze cover. I used to have that, and was quite happy with it, but now had to go to silver.

[kitano]

Canuck wrote:

I think your information is wrong.[/quote]

Could you be more specific. I`m not being sarcastic when I say I`d love to be proved wrong.

[canuck]

Kitano, I talked to some insurance guys over here, and they gave me the scoop. I don't take any offence to what you put in there. Information is good. I was told that you need to have insurance. I was also told a way to get off of Japanese insurance.

You have to cancel your insurance, move and change wards, and just not renew your insurance at the next ward. However, it's important to always be insured, because if you're not, then you could get into serious trouble in case of an emergency.

I think back payments are for Japanese nationals.

[kitano]

I`ve heard of that strategy many times. If that is the case I stand by my point. I know 5 good foreign friends who are making back payments. I think I`m saying what you are supposed to do and what you are saying is more about what you can get away with. You haven`t escaped NHI by moving you are simply avoiding it, if you leave Japan in a year or two no problem. I`m doing basically the same thing so I`m not judging you, just if someone is making the decision they should know all the facts. If you choose not to enter NHI or you don`t make your payments you may or you may not at some point be asked/forced to join and you may or may not have to pay up to two years backpayments. It all depends on the particular civil servant you have to deal with. It is a small risk but it does exist. I maintain the administration of this social program is a mess in general, and when it comes to foreign residents it is chaos.

[yamanote senbei]

Most people who are arguing against Japanese health insurance are misinformed. If you are a full time employee, or a part time employee working 3/4 the hours of a full time employee doing the same job, you MUST be enrolled in shakai hoken. Kokumin kenko hoken, what most people call NHI, is only for part timers who work less that that 3/4, or for the unemployed.

Don't trust your employer to tell you the truth. If you are enrolled in your employers health plan, your employer must pay half of the premiums.

Don't trust insurance agents to tell you the truth. If you enroll in one of their plans, you are also required to be enrolled in one of the government plans, either by your employer if you are full time (or 3/4 of) or you must enroll yourself if you are part time or unemployed.

There is no gray area.

[ndorfn]

That's interesting, I didn't know there was a different set up for part timers. I only work part time. Would it be cheaper for me to change to NHI rather than the global health plan?

[Temujin]