Job Discussion Forums

[ripslyme]

[cafebleu]

Now for your next step, GO BACK to your ward office with a friend who speaks Japanese. Preferably not somebody who will tell your employer you are trying to enrol in the NHI.

From my reasonably substantial experience of living in Japan (I've left), I found city hall were more than willing to help with such matters. They WANT foreigners to enrol in the NHI - more people paying in means more money circulating in a system that is increasingly weighed down with the growing aged population!

I suspect the person/people at your ward office who didn't know what you were on about didn't understand you. Apologies if you speak Japanese that is good enough to make yourself understood - I don't know.

GET that health insurance ASAP. The longer you put it off, the more you will have to pay in back payments if you decide to enrol later or if your ward office enforces the law and comes knocking at your door asking why you haven't joined.

I joined the National Health Insurance-National Pension which I regretted. It's way too expensive. It can be difficult for foreigners to understand the system but if you're enrolled in Kokuminkenkohoken as a foreigner through your Ward Office which entails paying the Pension as well, it's an institutionalised scam - beware!

Foreign membership of the system is designed to take money from foreigners who won't be living in Japan until they are 60 or so, without providing anything back. Just about all foreigners apart from a minority within the minority will not be living in Japan until that age.

THAT is the killer - 13,300 yen pension payments per month. Plus your Health Insurance payments. By all means enrol in the Health Insurance component and DON"T enrol in the pension if you can. Some ward offices are forcing foreigners to pay for both, which is a cynical move to fleece money from those who have the least stake in the system. If you stay longer than 3 years you lose out badly.

If you are not made to enrol in the Pension you will find you can manage both your company's insurance and the NHI. I don't know about your working conditions but it may not be tactful to let your employers know you want to enrol in NHI. If you don't pay the Pension component, you will be able to afford your employer's insurance and the National one.

Advantages of the NHI - direct access in case of an emergency to a hospital. They will not make you pay up front. If you don't have the National Health card or booklet they will charge you directly and may not be able to pay. With your enrolment health care in Japan becomes a right, not something that can be withheld pending payment in cash up front. Do think about that.

However, please TAKE somebody who can speak enough Japanese to get you enrolled at the National Health counter in your ward office. And enough Japanese to be able to state no thank you, you don't need to enrol in the pension.

Come the worse scenario and they make you, if you stay in Japan up to 3 years only it can be said to be worth it as the lump sum you are entitled to when you leave Japan is reasonable. After 3 years all the system is doing is cheating you as a foreigner to subsidise the ageing population, and you'll get precious few rights and no thanks for it!

[luckyloser700]

[yamanote senbei]

Kokumin Kenko Hoken is for unemployed or self employed people. What you want to be enrolled in is Kenko Hoken. It's half the price of Kokumin Kenko Hoken and it includes more benefits. Your employer must enroll you in it within five days of starting work, so forget this one year nonsense.

http://nambufwc.org/issues/shakai-hoken/

[luckyloser700]