Job Discussion Forums

[Scruffy]

A job I've been offered includes the requisite health insurance. I was told that I'll have full coverage except for dental and pregnancy. Is this standard fare?

For women in smaller cities (under 200,000), how is the health care?

Thanks.

[Glenski]

What is the "requisite" health insurance that they offer?

Shakai kenko hoken? (probably, and this includes contributions to pension plan and unemployment insurance, all mandatory)
Kokumin kenko hoken? (citizen's plan when an employer is too small or dodges making copayments; does not include pension or unemployment)

Are you concerned about pregnancy coverage? You should get back about 300,000 yen after the birth.

[Scruffy]

I'm not concerned about getting pregnant. But it was curious when they made a point of telling me that pregnancy wasn't covered. It's a small school with excellent references from current and previous teachers. I just don't want to find out that they aren't paying into the insurance should something come up. I know of someone whose medical bills were paid out of pocket by her employer. Obviously things weren't on the up and up.

About dental ... do you know if I can purchase dental insurance? I'm going to need some work done in the near future. In Korea dental work was inexpensive. What about Japan?

Thanks.

[earthmonkey]

The National Health Insurance plan includes dental. So, they are apparently giving you private insurance.

[Scruffy]

That's what I thought I read somewhere. Thanks. It's a really small school. From what I'm understanding they have different, less expensive options for health insurance.

[JimDunlop2]

That is indeed private health insurance. Unless the school is REALLY small (ie. less than 5 people) it is compulsary to have them provide you with national health insurance.....

Please read the following (courtesy Nambu Foreign Workers Caucus http://nambufwc.org/issues/shakai-hoken/)


----------------------

Shakai Hoken
Provided courtesy of the Tokyo Minato Ward Social Insurance Office:

Employers, enroll your employees to the Social Insurance
- Please submit the �Application for Enrollment� -

Is your company subject to the Employees� Health Insurance (EHI, KENKO HOKEN in Japanese)? The laws determine any company with more the 5 workers or any HOJIN corporation as the �applicable workplace� for coverage under the EHI and EPI. Any worker who is employed by the applicable workplace on regular bases shall compulsorily become the insured person of the EHI as well as EPI, irrespective of his/her nationality, sex, or wage. The workers aged 70 and over are, however, only covered by EHI.

The �workers employed on regular bases� means the workers who provide service at an applicable workplace and receive salary or wages for the service provided. There is such employer-employee relationship on regular bases. It is regardless of the the worker is a regular worker (SEISHAIN) or a part-timer, or whether there is a written employment contract or not.

Practically, even if your worker is not a regular worker, he/she shall be subject to coverage, as a worker employed on regular bases, in the following cases:

1. Part-Timers and other Non-Regular Workers

Are your part-timers subject to coverage of the Social Insurance? It depends on their work hours and work days compared with your regular workers who are engaged in same work in the same workplace.

In principal, your part-timers shall be covered by the Social Insurance if their;

(1) work days per month are more than 3/4 of your regular workers

AND

(2) work hours per day or per week are more than 3/4 of your regular workers

To be precise, there could be other factors to be taken into consideration such as working conditions/ actual working situations.

2. Non-Japanese Workers

The EHI and EPI cover workers employed on regular bases irrespective of their nationality.

3. Workers on Probation

Irrespective of employment contract or consent of the worker, any workers employed on regular bases shall be covered by the EHI and EPI.

�Application for Enrollment� (SHIKAKU SHUTOKU TODOKE)

When you employ workers who are subject to the coverage of EHI and EPI, you shall submit the �Application for Enrollment� to the Social Insurance Office within 5 days of employment. If you fail the application, you may have to pay the past contributions in a lump.

For details, please contact your nearest Social Insurance Office:

(When you contact us please speak Japanese.)

MINATO Social Insurance Office
1-10-14, Hamamatsucho,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 105-8513
Tel:03-5401-3211

[Scruffy]

Thank you, Jim. Informative. Yes, my school has less than five people.

[yamanote senbei]

If the school is a judicial person, that is a company, they have to enroll you only even if there's one employee. If it's a sole proprietorship, they only have to enroll their employees if there are five or more.

That's what this means:

[Sour Grape]

How much does the worker himself/herself have to contribute to Shakai Hoken?

[Glenski]

50%

[Glenski]

EDITED: double post due to computer hiccup

[Sour Grape]

[Scruffy]

I don't have to contribute anything.

But wouldn't insurance - even private insurance - normally cover pregnancy? I didn't understand being paid/compensated 3,00,000 Yen.

Thanks.