Japan’s Health Insurance Explained

Posted on 03/15/2024 Last updated on 03/15/2024

Are you new to Japan (or soon to come to Japan) and confused about how the health insurance works? If so, you are not alone. With different countries having vastly different health insurance systems, it can be a little intimidating coming to terms with a new health insurance system in a foreign country – especially if you don’t speak the language. Therefore, this article aims to give an overview of what Japanese health insurance involves, how to use it, what it covers, and how to pay for it.

There are two main types of health insurance in Japan – National Health Insurance and Social Health Insurance. Which one you need to enrol in will depend on your employment situation – therefore, your employer should be able to advise you which health insurance system to enrol in and may also help with the enrolment process itself (once again, this will depend on your situation).

If you are unemployed (e.g. as a student), you will need to enrol in the National Health Insurance (this can be done when you register at the city office). Also, take care when starting a new job/leaving a job to note whether your health insurance plan will stay the same or need to be changed – if you are changing your health insurance plan, you will need to cancel the original plan in order to avoid paying for both simultaneously.

So, how much of the cost does the health insurance in Japan cover? You may be surprised to hear that medical services compatible with health insurance are covered by 70%. This means the out-of-pocket expense for you is only 30% of the original price! In order to receive this reduced price, you only need to show your health insurance card to reception when you arrive at the medical facility. The health insurance card is a must to receive the discounted price, so be sure to carry it with you when receiving medical attention. The health insurance card may be given to you at the city office when you enrol or may arrive a short while later by post.

Now that we’ve discussed how to use the health insurance card, you may be wondering which medical services are eligible to be covered by health insurance. It may be necessary to check in advance for some specific situations; however, health insurance can generally be used if you are feeling unwell or exhibiting symptoms of some kind of physical problem or issue.

Routine checkups – such as the annual health checkups required by most full-time employers – are usually not covered by health insurance (although many employers do provide reimbursement). In addition to this, medical services classified as self-improvement, etc. (e.g. beauty treatments) generally do not qualify for health insurance coverage. As always, it is best to check in advance whether or not health insurance will be accepted.

Lastly, it is important to note that health insurance is not free. It is also worth noting that enrolment in one health insurance plan is mandatory – you do not have the option to decide for yourself whether or not you want to be covered. The amount you need to contribute each month will depend on your financial situation – typically, the more you earn, the more you need to contribute.

If you are employed full time, more likely than not your employer will automatically deduct the fee from your salary. If you are not employed full time, you will most likely need to pay for it directly using the bills you receive in the mail. These bills can be paid at a variety of locations, such as convenience stores, local banks, etc.

I hope this article answered all of your questions about health insurance in Japan! Now that you know what the health insurance involves, what it covers, how to use it, and how to pay for it, you should be able to confidently understand how to receive discounted medical services in Japan. Receiving medical care in a foreign country can be daunting, but I hope this article has allowed you to feel more confident about the financial aspects of using medical services in Japan.

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Top Photo: uopicture on PhotoAC

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