National Health Insurance System

What is National Health Insurance?

  ・The National Health Insurance system is administered by the city.
  ・It is a mutual assistance system where everyone can have peace of mind that they will receive medical treatment in the case of illness or injury.
  ・Even if you aren't a Japanese national, those who meet the conditions below are required to enroll in the National Health Insurance system.
  ※Senior citizens who are 75 years of age or older are required to enroll in the late-stage medical care system for the elderly.

Non-Japanese Eligible for National Health Insurance

  ・Non-Japanese to which the Basic Resident Registration Act applies (Foreign residents whose status of residence allows them to legally stay in Japan for over three months)
  ・Those whose domiciles are in Aizu-Wakamatsu City
  ・Those who are not enrolled in any other public health insurance plans (such as health insurance plans at their place of employment or through a family member's insurance plan )
  ※However, National Health Insurance does not apply to those who are in Japan on a “visa for medical stay” status.

Enrollment Procedures

  ・To enroll in the National Health Insurance system, you are required for file a notification of enrollment.
  ・Please file the form early. If the notification of enrollment is delayed, there will be several problems, such as:
    1. You will be required to pay the insurance tax retroactive to the day that you were considered eligible and were expected to have enrolled in health insurance.
    2. There may be cases where you will have to cover the full amount of medical care because you don't have a health insurance card.
   ※Eligibility for health insurance does not begin from the day you file the form, but from the day you should have enrolled in health insurance.
      Delayed reporting may cause problems such as you may be personally liable for the full cost of your medical treatment, or be made to pay all back health insurance dues, so please be careful.

Things to bring

  ・Residence Card or Special Permanent Resident Certificate
  ・Passport
  ・Seal (Inkan)
  ・If you were enrolled in another public medical insurance plan (such as an employee's health insurance plan or other plan), a certificate of withdrawal from that health insurance plan  

Where to file

  Kokuho Nenkin-ka (National Health Insurance and Pension Division), 1st floor of the main building in Aizu Wakamatsu City Hall

If You Are Enrolled in Kokuho (National Health Insurance)

Kokuho (National Health Insurance) Coverage

  When you present your insurance card at a hospital reception counter (healthcare provider), you only need to pay a portion of the medical expenses (the portion will vary based on your age, the same as for Japanese citizens), and you will be eligible to receive the following medical care (National Health Insurance will cover the remaining portion):　　　　　
  ・medical examinations
  ・medical treatment
  ・treatment with medicines or injections, etc.

• Percentage of Medical Expenses to be Borne by the Individual

• 18 years of age and younger → 0％（※）
• Those between 19 and 69 years of age → 30％（※）
• Those between 70 and 74 years of age → Please contact for inquiries.

     

Cases Where Insurance Coverage Is Not Available (When You Are Responsible for the Full Amount of Medical Care)

  In the following cases, you CAN'T use your national health insurance card.

• Things that are not considered “treatment of sickness”

           ・health checkups, complete medical checkups
           ・immunizations
           ・cosmetic surgery, etc.

• If you become eligible for workers' accident compensation insurance

           ・you are injured or come down with an illness on the job

• Limitation of coverage by national health insurance

           ・injuries resulting from intentional criminal acts or intentional injuries
           ・sickness or injury due to fights or drunkenness
           ・Those who did not follow the instructions of a doctor or insurance provider (Aizu Wakamatsu City)

How Insurance Tax Per Household is Determined

  1. By income ・・・Calculated based on the member's income from the previous fiscal year
  2. By net worth・・・Calculated based on the member's net worth
  3. On a per capita basis (Per Person)・・・Calculated based on the number of members in the household who are enrolled in National Health Insurance
  4. Equally (Per Household)・・・Calculated based on the amount per household

  ・Insurance tax is calculated annually (from April to March of the following year)
  ・The total amount of tax for one year is calculated by adding the amount of taxes calculated from each of the 4 categories above. This includes the total amount owed per person.
  ・For those who enrolled in the middle of the tax year, the tax is calculated from the month you were expected to have enrolled in health insurance (printed on the health insurance card)

  ※For those who are between 40 years old and 64 years old, the additional nursing and care insurance fee is included.
  ※For those who do not have income in Japan in the previous year, your taxes will not be calculated based on your income from the previous fiscal year. For those who lived outside Japan before living in Aizu Wakamatsu City, you are required to submit a national heath insurance tax return to the Kokuho Nenkin-ka (National Health Insurance and Pension Division) in the city hall.

How to Pay the Insurance Tax

  ・The annual premium is divided into 8 installments. You are required to pay the insurance tax installments by each of the 8 payment deadlines.
  ・Annual payment invoices are mailed every July.
  ・For those who enrolled during the year, the invoices are mailed in the month following the month in which you filed the notification.
  ・Please do not forget to pay the installments by the respective deadlines.