Job Discussion Forums

Michael188 · Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 16

Hi Everyone,

I need a little advice. I leave for Japan in 2 weeks time. As in most cases my health insurance plan, under the terms of my contract, only covers 70% of my medical expenses. I would like to top it up to 100% by buying the extra coverage. I would like to do it before I go, but I am sure there are some Japanese companies that specialize in coverage for foreigners in Japan, so if I have to do in Japan fine. I am naive when it comes to purchasing health care plans or insurance, so I need some advice on companies that provide good health insurance plans at a reasonable price. I do want to break the bank, but also do not want to get stuck breaking my leg and having poor medical coverage.

I have done a search through the Japan forum, but the keys words bring up so many threads I get lost.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

wangtesol · Joined: 24 May 2005 Posts: 280

According to Health Insurance Law in Japan, you are to be enrolled into the Japanese government's health insurance scheme (shakai hoken) where you are 100% covered for any visits to the doctor. In this scheme, you pay half and your employer pays half. Employers often try to get out of paying anything by not telling you that you are supposed to be enrolled.
Japan is the only country I know in Asia that consistently lies to migrant workers about their health insurance rights.

So you have been cheated already by your employer. Sorry. When you arrive in Japan you might want to talk to your employer sometime about getting yourself enrolled into shakai hoken. It is a matter of going to the local city hall where you live and registering.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

yamanote senbei · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 435

PaulH, there are companies that pay more than their required 50% of the Shakai Hoken premiums. Companies can pay more if they like. What they aren't allowed to do however is not pay. Considering how much money Nova and most other companies employing foreigners have illegally saved over the decades, it would be a reasonable thing for for foreign teachers to demand that Nova and the others to pay 100% of the premiums to balance things out.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

abufletcher · Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 11:17 am Post subject:

Note to original poster: Keep in mind that health care costs in Japan can be a fraction of what they are in the US (for example) so that 30% you'll pay here probably won't be much. As an example a year ago I had a a gall stone which the treatment of which involved a LOT of "expensive" tests and two days of full hospitalization. In the US that would have run upwards of $3,000, maybe even upwards of $5,000. All I paid was 14,000 or about US $120.

Also, here's a curious (and useless) tidibt. Apparently, according to the people at my university's fincance department. I can still put in a bid for compensation for my children's medical expenses IN THE US because they are still officially listed on my insurance card here. The catch? They will pay the usual percent of the costs but only on an estimate of what the equivalent services would cost here in Japan. Once we did the math (or rather the guy from finance did the math) we figured I'd be able to get back something like 1% in exchange for my effort to fill out a stack of paperword (including translations of foreign medical records).