Insurance

Types of Insurance
All JET participants are covered by four types of insurance. Three of these are compulsory social insurances set by the Japanese government. The fourth type is a special private policy for JET Programme participants.

Public Insurance (Seifu Kanshou Kenkou Hoken 政府管掌健康保険):


 * National Health Insurance


 * Employment Insurance

Private Insurance (for JET participants only)


 * JET Programme Accident Insurance

Public Insurance
You should receive your National Health Insurance Card, a (blue) Pension Contribution booklet and a notice of your joining Employment Insurance within a few weeks of taking your position.

The benefits of these schemes are listed in a book called Outline of Social Insurance in Japan. A copy of this book is held at the International Affairs Division of the Ishikawa Prefectural Government and at the Educational Advisory Division of Ishikawa Board of Education.

Depending on criteria such as your tax situation in Japan and your host institution, about Y34-Y38,000 is deducted from your salary for Social Insurance every month. The actual cost is about Y68-Y76,000 per month, but your host institution is required to pay half of it.

National Health Insurance
National Health Insurance Card

It is important to carry your National Health Insurance Card with you at all times as you will have to present it at a hospital or clinic should you require medical treatment. Insurance coverage may be refused if you are not carrying your insurance card.

When you go to a hospital or clinic, present your health insurance card to the receptionist. At some clinics the receptionist will make a registration card for you while you wait for the doctor. After your consultation with the doctor, you will receive your health insurance card, registration card and a bill for 10% of the total cost of your visit (for dependents, it can be 20-30% of the total cost). The bill usually amounts to a few hundred yen. It is also likely that you will receive some medicine. Pay the account and keep the receipt as you may be able to claim this money back from the JET Programme Accident Insurance (see below).

Benefits for the Person Insured (ie. the JET)
 * medical consultation
 * supply of medicines and other therapeutic materials
 * medical treatment, operations and other therapeutical care
 * hospitalization
 * nursing
 * transportation

Benefits for Dependents (ie. the JET's spouse and children)

"Dependents" means lineal ascendants, spouse (including unregistered marriages), children, grandchildren and younger siblings and relatives to the third degree of the insured mainly supported by the insured and living under the same household. Dependents are granted almost all the same benefits as the insured person, but dependents must pay 20% of the cost of hospitalization and 30% of out-patient care.

Employment Insurance
As of 2001, JET participants (excluding 1. foreign government employee, 2. persons who meet conditions to receive unemployment insurance benefits of a foreign country, or 3. persons who work in a Japanese office after entering into an employment contract established in a foreign country.) are required to have deductions made from their salaries for the nations employment insurance (Koyo Hoken 雇用保険).

The actual cost for each JET comes to around 2,200 yen per month with the employer paying a higher amount as well. If after completion of the JET Programme contract a JET remains in Japan and fulfills all the following conditions, the public employment security office may deem the participant eligible to claim unemployment benefits. Please contact your local public employment security office for queries regarding claims.

Pension Insurance
Pension Insurance will provide for you or your family in the event that you are seriously injured or die during the period you are making payments into the policy.

After leaving Japan, JET participants are entitled to get a portion of the money back that they have paid into the pension plan while in Japan. To claim this money it is essential that you keep your blue (or orange) pension booklets.

JET Programme Accident Insurance

 * Insurance Enrollment

All JET participants are automatically enrolled in the JET Accident Insurance Policy. (Each JET participant must, however, submit the Declaration of Beneficiary Form.) You should receive a light blue Accident Insurance Policy Guide when you first arrive in Japan and at the start of each new JET year.


 * Cost

The insurance premiums are paid entirely by your Contracting Organisation.

The cover extends throughout the time you are in Japan as a JET. It also covers JETs who are temporarily outside of Japan for up to one month on vacation or business while still under contract.
 * Duration


 * Policy Outline

In the case that a JET participant is injured or becomes ill during the period of coverage, the JET Accident Insurance Policy allows JET participants to claim back medical costs incurred (minus a \5000 deductible and within the limits of the policy).

When receiving treatment, JETs should first make use of their National Health Insurance and then claim remaining costs with the JET Accident Insurance. The JET Accident Insurance also provides coverage for death caused by accident or illness, disability, and treatment for injuries and illnesses that occur during travel or visits to the JET's home country. Medical costs incurred due to injuries or illnesses that happened before the start of the insurance policy are not covered.

This information is explained in greater detail in the insurance booklet "Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Accident Insurance Policy Guide". If you have any further questions please refer to the insurance booklet.


 * Policy Number

The Policy Number is determined by date that the participant arrived in Japan and applies to all JET participants who arrived in the applicable month.

April Arrivals (new arrivals and re-contracting JET participants): Policy Number 8490720604

July & August Arrivals (new arrivals and re-contracting JET participants): Policy Number 8490731127


 * Making a Claim for Sickness or Injury Within Japan

The following steps were taken from the JET Programme Official Homepage.

1. The JET participant pays for the medical expenses using the Japanese National Health Insurance. (It is important to keep all your receipts.)

2. The JET participant or their supervisor should telephone the Kanazawa of SOMPO JAPAN to report the date, time, place, cause and symptoms of the injury or sickness, and the name of the treating hospital or clinic, to the individual in charge of the “JET Accident Insurance.”

3. The branch office will make a record of the details and explain how to make a claim for payment.

4. When all the necessary documents are ready, send them to the Kanazawa Service Center Branch Office:

Kanazawa Service Center 金沢SC

920-8558 1-2-21, Kōrinbō, Kanazawa-shi 金沢市香林坊1-2-21

TEL: 076-232-2434

FAX: 076-232-1194

<p style="text-align:left">5. The claim will be investigated and the insurance benefits will be remitted to the designated bank account. Transfers to foreign bank accounts are possible, in case the JET participant has returned in their home country.）


 * Making a Claim for Sickness or Injury Occurring Outside Japan

<p style="text-align:left">1. The JET participant must pay all of the medical fees themselves, and keep all the receipts or doctor’s notes. There is no money advance system.

<p style="text-align:left">2. A refund claim must be made to the Japanese National Insurance

<p style="text-align:left">To make this claim, the following materials are required:

<p style="text-align:left">(a) Application Form for Reimbursement of Medical Expenses

<p style="text-align:left">(b) Attending Physician’s Statement” (Include a Japanese translation, and the name, address and signature of the translator)

<p style="text-align:left">(c) "Itemised Receipts" (Include a Japanese translation, and the name, address and signature of the translator)

<p style="text-align:left">(d) Medical Receipts

<p style="text-align:left">Please take these forms with you when returning temporarily to your Home Country or traveling in a Third Country. They can be acquired at your local SAMPO Office or downloaded from the [Programme Official Homepage].

<p style="text-align:left">The claim will take about a month.

<p style="text-align:left">3. Claim procedures to SOMPO JAPAN After making this claim, contact the Kanazawa SAMPO JAPAN Service branch to claim the portion of the costs not covered by National Health Insurance. Receipts of the medical fees are needed when applying for reimbursement of medical expenses. In case the original receipts were needed to claim the payment back to the National Health insurance, please keep copies of those receipts. Please send copies of 2.a, 2.b, 2.c and 2.d (see above) as well as a copy of the proof of refund from the Japanese National Insurance.

<p style="text-align:left">4. The claim will be investigated and the insurance benefits will be remitted to the designated bank account. Transfers to foreign bank accounts are possible, in case the JET participant has returned in their home country.)

This information is explained in greater detail in the insurance booklet "Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme Accident Insurance Policy Guide". If you have any further questions please refer to the insurance booklet.