Job Discussion Forums

[lasingparuparo]

Hey I just wanted to know if anyone has heard of or worked for Teach Away Inc. and what their opinion was. Also, when you teach in Japan do you automatically get health insurance or do you have to buy it in the states and then go?

[Glenski]

In Japan, you are required by law to have health insurance.

That doesn't always happen.

However, you usually have 2 options depending on your work situation.

1. The company makes co-payments into shakai hoken (corporate insurance plus pension).

2. The company doesn't, so you have to get general public insurance (kokumin kenko hoken) and separate pension. (You can collect most of the pension payments back up to 3 years.)

Using foreign insurance can sometimes be acceptable. Bear in mind that many will ask you to pay 100% of the medical costs up front, and then wait 4-8 weeks to get reimbursed. Nice for full reimbursement, but can you afford that up front payment and delay? With Japanese insurance, you pay only 30% of the total cost up front. Period.

[lasingparuparo]

ah thanks!
so if i want to buy the japanese kind and my job doesnt offer it how do i go about doing it?