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Medical insurance is one of the greatest concerns for foreigners living and
working in Japan. All residents of Japan are required to be enrolled in a
Japanese insurance program. Medical insurance is mandatory when living in
Japan for 1 year or longer. Contrary to popular rumors circulating among the
foreign community, foreigners are not automatically covered by National
Health Insurance. As National Health Insurance premiums are based on your
previous year's income, the first year of coverage is relatively cheap.
The 2 main types of Medical Insurance are:
Social Insurance "Kenko Hoken" - For company employees.
National Health Insurance "Kokumin-Kenko Hoken" - For students and the
self-employed
Other types include Mutual Aid Associations "Kyosai Kumiai", which covers
most public service and private school employees. Under Japanese insurance,
you are generally required to pay about 30% of the medical expenses
incurred. Many foreigners opt to take out insurance policies offered by
foreign companies in Japan or by those located back in their home country.
Please check the legitimacy of such healthcare products beforehand such as:
Underwriter of the product
Standard and Poor's rating
Emergency Assistance Company
Representative company of the product
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