Social Insurance

Health Care Insurance

All residents in Japan are covered by a public medical insurance such as the National Health Insurance and the Employees' Health Insurance depending on their occupation and age. People are required to pay monthly insurance premium, and are eligible to receive medical treatment with a small fee at a medical institution of their choice.

Eligible Individuals

The Employees' Health Insurance	Those who are employees of private companies, and their dependents. Must be under the age of 75.
The National Health Insurance	Those who are not covered by the Employees' Health Insurance such as farmers, self-employed persons, and retirees. Must be under the age of 75.
Late Life Stage Medical Care for the Elderly	Individuals of ages 75 and above

Contribution

The Employees' Health Insurance	Rates in 2011 10.99％of Standard Monthly Remuneration (capped at 1,175,000 yen) for the employees with age of 40 to 65 (9.48％for employees below age of 40), borne 50/50 between employer and employee Note 1: health insurance associations (kumiai kempo) contracted out of the Employees' Health Insurance sets its own premium rate. Note 2: contributions remain the same regardless of the number of dependents insured
The National Health Insurance	The rates vary by municipality. Each municipality determines the premium based either on (1) household's income, (2) household's assets, (3) per capita (4) per household or combination of these.
Late Life Stage Medical Care for the Elderly	The rates vary by municipality and set based on per capita and per capita income.

Benefits

Medical care benefits (the following includes dental, vision and prescriptive drugs. Treatments received overseas are also reimbursed based on the average cost in domestic medical institutions for the same treatments.)

1.Co-pay varies by age of the insured:

-Before entering school age: 20% of the medical expenses
-After entering school age to age of 69: 30% of the medical expense
-Age between 70 and 74: 20% of the medical expenses
-Age 75 and above: 10% of the medical expenses

2.Monthly Co-pay Caps (High-cost medical care) apply:

The Insured below age 70:

Note 1: the above cap will be further reduced if the monthly co-pay caps were applied for more than three times over the past 12 month period.
Note 2: the caps apply for a total household expense, but exclude costs for private hospital room or meals.

3.Costs of meals during hospitalization:

4.Living care expenses during hospitalization:　applicable to individuals of ages 65 and above

Cash benefits

5.Short-term disability benefits (applicable only to employees insured by the Employees' Health Insurance or kumiai kempo): 

2/3 of standard daily wage payable for a period of 1.5 years from the 4th day of sickness. 

6.Maternity and childcare lump sum allowance

7.Funeral allowance and Burial costs

Note: each benefit level may vary by health insurance associations (kumiai kempo) and the benefits mentioned above are of the statutory level provided by the Japan Health Insurance Association.

What is not covered:

Orthodontics, prescriptive glasses / contact lenses, cosmetic surgery, acupuncture or massage other than those prescribed by a doctor, hospital bed (a difference of price between a private room and shared room), pregnancy and child-birth, advanced technology care prescribed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.