Other Insurance for Researchers and Staff

For Staff B, membership in the Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo) and paying its premium are mandatory from their day of their employment, and the various benefits provided by the program also become available to them immediately.
Allowances are provided to insured members and their family (dependents) for illness, injury, childbirth, death, leave of absence, disaster, etc. when treatment is received at a hospital, if the health insurance card is shown, the patient is responsible for 30% of the cost.

If medical expenses are high
If the total medical expenses of members and family (dependents) during a single month at a single hospital exceed a designated maximum amount, the exceeding portion will be reimbursed. The designated maximum amount will vary according to income. Contact the office of the department you belong to.
 

Under the Nursing Care Insurance system, services can be received as needed with 10% of the costs borne by the patient. Those who may require services are the elderly who either are bedridden, suffer from dementia or otherwise need constant nursing care ("require care") or those who do not need constant nursing care but need support in daily life such as with housework and personal care ("require support").

Who pays the premiums
Persons aged 40 or older and whose period of stay in Japan is one year or longer will pay Nursing Care Insurance premiums.
For Staff A and B aged between 40 and 64, premiums will be deducted from their monthly salary.
Persons aged 65 or older are automatically enrolled in Nursing Care Insurance when they complete alien registration. Two to three months after application, a Nursing Care Insurance Invoice/Payment Form will arrive from the municipal office. Premiums should be paid in accordance with this form. Persons aged 65 or older who require nursing care should inquire at their municipal office.

Note: For persons aged between 40 and 64, Nursing Care Insurance premiums are included in their National Health Insurance invoice. For persons aged 65 or older, Nursing Care Insurance is invoiced separately.

Health insurance/pension insurance
If you work full-time as a researcher, or if you work 4 or more days a week and 6 hours or more a day as a researcher, you will enroll in a Japanese public health insurance program via the University, for which premiums will be deducted from your salaries. If you are a researcher and do not fit into these categories, please enroll in National Health Insurance. The type of health insurance will differ depending on the number of workdays and work hours, but irrespective of the type of insurance, you can receive medical treatment (including dental care) with a 30% copayment. When you visit a hospital or clinic, do not forget to bring your member card or health insurance card. These types of insurance do not cover normal childbirth, medical checkups, or use of a private room in a hospital. There are other items, too, that are not covered by insurance. For instance, although metal dentures are covered by insurance, better-looking natural-color dentures are not. Check before treatment whether it is covered by insurance.
In addition to the health insurance program, you are also required to enroll in the pension insurance plan. If you enroll in a health insurance program through the University, enrollment in a pension insurance plan is also made through the University, for which premiums will be deducted from your salaries. If you enroll in the National Health Insurance program, please apply for it by yourself. However, under some social security agreements, you may be exempted from both of insurance plans (Japanese health insurance and pension insurance) or only from pension insurance. You need a certificate for such exemption.

For full-time employees
You are required to enter the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Aid Association program from the first day of your work, and pay insurance premiums. In order to join the Mutual Aid Association program, please fill out the designated form and submit to the academic organization to which you will belong. If you start working on the first day of the month, you will be issued a membership card around the 20th of the same month. If your first day of work is other than the first day of the month, the card will be issued around the 20th of the subsequent month. If you visit a medical facility before that, a certificate can be issued beforehand if you apply for it at your academic organization. You may want to consult with your academic organization about the eligibility of your family members to be dependents.
Insurance premiums are determined depending on the amount of salaries. A total of around 11% of salary will be deducted from your salary as "Mutual Aid Association long-term benefit premium (Mutual Aid Society pension insurance premium)," "Mutual Aid Association short-term benefit premium (health insurance premium)" and "Mutual Aid Association long-term care insurance premiums (only for those aged 40 or above)." However, under some social security agreements, you may be exempted from both insurances (Japanese health insurance and pension insurance) or only from the pension insurance.
Unless you are exempted from Japanese insurance programs, even if your stay is short, you are required to pay premiums for the Mutual Aid Association Health Insurance.
 

For part-time employees
If you work 4 or more days a week and 6 hours or more a day as a researcher and your employment period is 2 months or longer, you are required to enter the Government-managed Health Insurance Program and the Employees' Pension Insurance Program from the first day of your work, and pay insurance premiums. Insurance premiums are determined depending on the amount of your salary. A total of around 11% of your salary will be deducted from your salary as "Employees' Pension Insurance Premium," "Health Insurance Premium" and "Long-term Care Insurance Premiums (only for those aged 40 or above)." Please fill out the designated form and submit it to the academic organization to which you will belong. However, under some social security agreements, you may be exempted from both types of insurance (Japanese health insurance and pension insurance) or only from the pension insurance. In that case, you do not need to enroll in the Japanese insurance program.
If none of the above cases apply to you and you will stay in Japan for one year or longer, please bring your Certificate of Alien Registration (See III-1 Alien Registration) to your local ward or city office and enroll in the National Health Insurance and National Pension Insurance. The amount of premiums for the National Health Insurance will be calculated based on your previous year's income.
 

If you are a researcher who satisfies the following conditions, you are required to enroll in an employment insurance program. The program offers you support for re-employment, such as unemployment benefits, and skill acquirement allowances to develop competence, in case you lose your job. If you are a researcher who is insured, an employment insurance premium will be deducted from your monthly salary. You do not need to go through procedures to get this insurance, as the University will do it on your behalf at a job placement office.

You are expected to be employed for 31 days or more.
Your prescribed work hours per week are 20 hours or more.
Your work conditions such as work hours and wages are specified in work regulations, employment contract, notification of employment, and such.