Hi,
I took a full-time job in Japan for the first time since moving here.
The shakai hoken insurance is provided by Shigaku Kyosai. I read that Ben is also insured by this fine institution.
Just wondered if it's normal for insurers in general and/or Shigaku Kyosai to be rather inefficient at processing things.
Health insurance cards for Mrs Kuma and Koguma-1 took months to appear. Both had lots of medical expenses that were time-consuming to recoup.
Pension contributions for Mrs Kuma have not been registered with the pension office almost halfway through my one-year contract.
A refund on some hospital expenses surrounding Koguma-2's birth have not been received at a time when she's already started hoikuen.
Normal?
Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
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RetireJapan
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Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
I'm in the civil servant plan, so slightly different but similar. The office at your school/university will be a factor, as will the central office.
I've found them to be inflexible, unhelpful, but not particularly slow. Might be worth following up (in a polite, non-confrontational way).
I've found them to be inflexible, unhelpful, but not particularly slow. Might be worth following up (in a polite, non-confrontational way).
English teacher and writer. RetireJapan founder. Avid reader.
eMaxis Slim Shady
eMaxis Slim Shady
Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
Thanks for the swift reply.
Probably too many links in the chain in my case. And Covid delays on top of regular delays.
Have asked Qs of various links in the chain today. My local workplace says they did what they needed to do in a reasonable timeframe; the Sapporo branch office says they did what they needed to do; the Tokyo head office says they did what they needed to do; Shigaku Kyosai says they are experiencing delays due to Covid but pension documents to pension office some months ago.
An annoyance on the health cards was that SK refused to discuss my case with me directly, saying my company should call them. My company reported SK's phone line being constantly engaged... yet I got through in 3 mins, and when they heard I was a foreigner, they fetched an English-speaker within 30 seconds. Could've just been lucky, or there may be another explanation.
Hey ho. Shoganai.
Probably too many links in the chain in my case. And Covid delays on top of regular delays.
Have asked Qs of various links in the chain today. My local workplace says they did what they needed to do in a reasonable timeframe; the Sapporo branch office says they did what they needed to do; the Tokyo head office says they did what they needed to do; Shigaku Kyosai says they are experiencing delays due to Covid but pension documents to pension office some months ago.
An annoyance on the health cards was that SK refused to discuss my case with me directly, saying my company should call them. My company reported SK's phone line being constantly engaged... yet I got through in 3 mins, and when they heard I was a foreigner, they fetched an English-speaker within 30 seconds. Could've just been lucky, or there may be another explanation.
Hey ho. Shoganai.
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captainspoke
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Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
(hmm, thought I'd replied to this, but I guess not)
One aspect of shigakukyosai I've had experience with is reimbursements/payments for medical and hospitalizations. They typically came ~3 months afterwards.
And I think +/- on that depends on whatever a monthly cutoff date might be. Just miss that and it might be 4 months (or feel like it). With 'perfect' timing, a payment might come it 2.
Good luck with the other stuff. Even tho it's happening in slo-mo, I'd guess it'll all get corrected eventually.
One aspect of shigakukyosai I've had experience with is reimbursements/payments for medical and hospitalizations. They typically came ~3 months afterwards.
And I think +/- on that depends on whatever a monthly cutoff date might be. Just miss that and it might be 4 months (or feel like it). With 'perfect' timing, a payment might come it 2.
Good luck with the other stuff. Even tho it's happening in slo-mo, I'd guess it'll all get corrected eventually.
Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
Thanks Captainspoke, that’s useful info too.
Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
Ben and captainspoke (and others), do you have insight into the Shigaku Kyosai Retirement Pension benefit levels/calculation?
https://www.shigakukyosai.jp/en/pension ... oku01.html
I understand that the monthly premium is 1.5% of my salary, shared equitably between employee and employer, ie a 0.75% salary deduction for me.
I understand the pattern of benefits (50% as a life pension; 50% as a fixed-term pension OR lump sum), but not the amounts.
Also, does this (small) additional pension provision on top of kosei nenkin affect iDeCo contributions? Which column below applies to me? My employer declared Column 3 when presented with the change-of-status iDeCo forms...
https://www.ideco-koushiki.jp/english/i ... x_09_2.png
https://www.shigakukyosai.jp/en/pension ... oku01.html
I understand that the monthly premium is 1.5% of my salary, shared equitably between employee and employer, ie a 0.75% salary deduction for me.
I understand the pattern of benefits (50% as a life pension; 50% as a fixed-term pension OR lump sum), but not the amounts.
Also, does this (small) additional pension provision on top of kosei nenkin affect iDeCo contributions? Which column below applies to me? My employer declared Column 3 when presented with the change-of-status iDeCo forms...
https://www.ideco-koushiki.jp/english/i ... x_09_2.png
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Re: Shigaku Kyosai - always slow?
Just to follow through on this...
Medial reimbursements -- all received (+50,000yen cash gift + catalogue gift for birth).
iDeCo -- I should have been on the Mutual Aid (max 12,000yen/month) plan. I hadn't realised prior to starting my job that my insurer was a Mutual Aid society and that there was a different form for this. Fortunately, I'd only been contributing 11,000yen per month with a view to stepping up to 23,000yen (which I thought was my max as an employee) when my wife started work. With quite a lot of paperwork, I seem to have sorted out this mistake without any penalties or any lost contributions, and increased my contributions to the 12,000yen max.
Shigaku Kyosai pension plan -- still not clear on the size of the benefit, but will presumably receive a statement at some stage. I imagine it is relatively small -- particularly if only expecting to be employed for a handful of years -- though potentially non-trivial for those who have decades of contributions.
Medial reimbursements -- all received (+50,000yen cash gift + catalogue gift for birth).
iDeCo -- I should have been on the Mutual Aid (max 12,000yen/month) plan. I hadn't realised prior to starting my job that my insurer was a Mutual Aid society and that there was a different form for this. Fortunately, I'd only been contributing 11,000yen per month with a view to stepping up to 23,000yen (which I thought was my max as an employee) when my wife started work. With quite a lot of paperwork, I seem to have sorted out this mistake without any penalties or any lost contributions, and increased my contributions to the 12,000yen max.
Shigaku Kyosai pension plan -- still not clear on the size of the benefit, but will presumably receive a statement at some stage. I imagine it is relatively small -- particularly if only expecting to be employed for a handful of years -- though potentially non-trivial for those who have decades of contributions.