RetireJapan

Can anyone explain how long term insurance works in Japan.

1. Is it compulsory for everyone over 40?
2. Are there any exceptions to this requirement?
3, Can you get a refund if you depart Japan?
4. I understand it’s based on your income, if so how does that work?
5. If your spouse has little to no income, how is that calculated?

Thanks!

1. yes
2. no, unless your income is incredibly low
3. no
4. it's basically an add on to your health insurance, calculated and paid in the same way
5. dependent spouse is included, non-dependent spouse calculated separately

I wouldn't worry too much about this, it is basically a tax and a cost of living in Japan.

Anyone else?

RetireJapan wrote: ↑Fri Jun 07, 2024 4:16 am 1. yes
2. no, unless your income is incredibly low
3. no
4. it's basically an add on to your health insurance, calculated and paid in the same way
5. dependent spouse is included, non-dependent spouse calculated separately

I wouldn't worry too much about this, it is basically a tax and a cost of living in Japan.

Anyone else?

https://www.minnanokaigo.com/guide/care-insurance/fee/

Like all good tax systems, the more you earn, the more you pay. There are many different tranches depending on income.

It depends on how you are getting your healthcare, so it is not super easy to give a general number.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/e ... are/3.html

It is a chunk of change they want from you after you are 40 years old with kokumin kenko hoken 13% of last year's salary but on the whole, I think the way the Japanese finance their health system and long-term health, we Brits have a lot to learn from.

You both mentioned it’s related to health care. I’m retired from the U.S. Air Force and have Tricare as our medical insurance. I’ve spoken to others, specifically John Letaw, an author who wrote a comprehensive book on Tricare and was retired Navy living in Japan with his family while on a work visa for several years. They were not required to pay into the Japanese health insurance program as Tricare meets Japanese minimum standards. The only differences between his family and mine is his wife was not Japanese and mine is, I would be on a spousal visa and we will be living off of a pension and investments.

Would anyone know if it would make any difference if I’m not required to pay into Japanese healthcare?

We will be 50 when we move there and don’t plan on staying beyond 5-years so I view it as unnecessary expense, but sometimes it’s just the cost necessary to live in Japan.

Wife's mother, now 95 and in care, was recently upped from 要介護２ to 要介護４, so will get more care for her age, and maybe move facilities if/when an opening occurs.

No extra money for this, her cost seems to be based on her pension (and not assets, which are not touched--she still owns part of a house, nor do we need to contribute anything).

No, it's not luxury, and actually kind of spartan (but, the care/help is there). My wife and my sister-in-law visited their mother today, and my wife said she thought she recognized them. So how much luxury do you need at that point?

As long as this system continues on kind of how it works now, I've got no problem with that.

Yes, the government didn't used to be so strict about health insurance and long term care insurance. I know that the teachers at international schools used to be able to pick if they wanted to use a foreign based insurance or a Japan based health insurance. Now, if you are living in Japan, you are supposed to have a Japan based health insurance (either through your job or paying the national health insurance through the city where you live, plus the long-term nursing care one). I think that with the My number card system, the information is supposed to be more steamline so that they can monitor these things. (there might be exception with the US military, but I guess it would depend on your visa)....