Health Insurance for Student

[yellowlightman]

It's looking like I might be moving to Tokyo in the spring with a student visa (assuming it gets approve - fingers crossed) and I've been trying to get some information about the National Health Insurance. But there are a couple things I can't figure out.

1.) If my Visa is for one year, will I still be able to get it without any hassle? I realize it's required for people staying over one year, so I'm guessing that will work. I just wanted to make sure.

2.) How much should I expect to pay? I know they base it on salary, but if I'm an unemployed student how do they figure out what to charge?

Thanks in Advance.

[Charles]

You should check with your exchange program, they are used to handling these details.

The school should assist you with your visa. That's their job. It takes time and bureaucracy so contact them early and keep in contact.

When I went to school in Japan, they required I show proof of insurance, something that would cover me even overseas. My student insurance through my university was adequate, it was Blue Cross which reimburses for treatment in foreign hospitals. Unfortunately you still had to pay cash up front and seek reimbursement later. Good thing I never got really sick.

[Taro Toporific]

2.) How much should I expect to pay? I know they base it on salary, but if I'm an unemployed student how do they figure out what to charge

National Health Insurance is based on your salary in Japan last year, which was zero----Your bill will be less than 2,000 yen per month.

Once you have paid any significant amount of Japanese income tax for one year, the National Health Insurance monthly premium jumps to over 20,000yen/m and private health insurance plans for expats are cheaper.

Strategy: If you are only going be in Japan one or two years or if you are not earning income, National Health Insurance is a fuckquing bargain. If you plan to stay in the Land-of-Concrete(tm) and start pulling in the mega-yen you want to be in a private health insurance plan.

[GomiGirl]

Strategy: If you are only going be in Japan one or two years or if you are not earning income, National Health Insurance is a fuckquing bargain. If you plan to stay in the Land-of-Concrete(tm) and start pulling in the mega-yen you want to be in a private health insurance plan.

What Sir Taro says!! That is the gospel.

[halfnip]

What insurance plans do you recommend?

[yellowlightman]

Thanks a lot Taro, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!

And just to double check, you apply for the insurance at the local municipal ward office after getting an alien registration card?

[dimwit]

Specifically you will pay 1260 yen per month based on last years' non-income. This may change slightly for the upcoming year but I doubt it will put you back more than and extra can of happo shu.

Why do I know this? Last year because of the pension fund fiasco, health insurance calculations in some of the case where there were lost records was calculated out based on zero income for the previous year.

[Taro Toporific]

.. just to double check, you apply for the insurance at the local municipal ward office after getting an alien registration card?

Yep, and I was surprised to find that my Tokyo ward office had English, Chinese and Portuguese templates available to show how to fill out out the Japanese forms.