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A. Subscribers to the National
Health Insurance System only need to pay 30% of the total medical
fees if the insured receives treatment for an illness or injury.
However, the National Health Insurance
does not cover all treatments and there are instances when the insured
must pay all the fees. Examples are when the insured is hospitalized
in a private room in a hospital and must pay an extra charge for
the bed, when the insured has received costly and special treatment
that is not covered under National Health Insurance or when the
person has received special dental treatment such as gold caps.
Childbirth and abortions are also not covered by the National Health
Insurance.
You are fundamentally required to
join the National Health Insurance System upon your arrival in Japan.
If there is a delay in your application, you may be requested to
make payments for past insurance fees due.
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A. Many universities have their own
health insurance plan for their students. It differs according to
the university, so please confirm at the office for foreign students
at your university.
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A. Registered aliens should make their
application at the National Health Insurance section of the municipal
office in their area of residency. You will need to show your alien
registration card at that time. Those with the residency status of
College Student or Pre-college Student and a period of stay of 1 year
can join immediately. However, depending on the municipal office,
those with a 6-month Pre-college status of residence may need to show
a proof of enrollment that shows a scheduled period of enrollment
lasting more than one year.
If you have dependents that reside with
you, your family will also be covered under this system. Please make
sure that the names of your family members are written on your National
Health Insurance certificate.
The fee for the National Health Insurance
differs according to your area of residency. In the case of the 23
wards within Tokyo, the monthly fee in fiscal 1998 for those who did
not need to pay a metropolitan residents tax was ¥2,175. Those with
an annual income less than a stipulated amount can get a 70% or 50%
reduction of their insurance fee if they make an application. The
reduction is based on the previous year's income, so please make sure
to make a residents tax declaration even if you do not have any income
to declare.
If you move to a new location, you
must have a new insurance certificate issued at the municipal office
of your new residency. Please submit your old National Health Insurance
certificate at the municipal office of your new residency to receive
a new National Health Insurance certificate. You can not receive National
Health Insurance if you do not follow these procedures. |
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A. The stress of living
in a new environment may cause you to become ill. If you experience
any change in your health, be sure to go to a doctor for a checkup
or treatment. Please do not forget to take your National Health
Insurance certificate with you.
You can find many hospitals and clinics
in major cities. They include national general hospitals, prefectural
or metropolitan general hospitals, city general hospitals and other
public general hospitals as well as private general hospitals. There
are also teaching hospitals attached to national, prefectural and
private universities as well as small, privately operated hospitals.
Please check with the professor in charge of foreign students at
your school or your guarantor to find the best hospital for you.
A neighborhood clinic or small hospital
is probably sufficient if you are going for treatment of a cold
or stomachache. Many people go to be treated at large hospitals,
so you normally have a long wait before the doctor can see you.
If there is a clinic at your school, you can also go to the clinic
for treatment.
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