Gov't to revise health insurance system to prevent misuse by both Japanese, foreign workers

"There are people who are actually using the (public health insurance system) in a way it was not intended for," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told an upper house committee.

I keep reading comments like this, but I never see any details of actual cases. I think the health and welfare ministry were unable to find any.

I don't think the Japanese medical insurance should pay for any overseas treatment, unless that treatment is not available in Japan. The issue with foreign labourers is that they will be forced to pay the full price for the Japanese medical insurance, but they will also have to pay for treatment for overseas family whom they are unable to bring to Japan.

It's so strange that out-of-the-country kin were being covered. I can agree that at least THAT should be changed.

Hello Luddite, what other abuses are you referring to, that are being made by the locals ? Would be useful to know I guess in order to not be disadvantaged....

The changes being proposed make sense for the Medical cover aspect, you're only covered if you're a resident dependent. (There will of course no doubt, be found ways around this).

Though I wonder how this will impact Taxation, as you can currently declare (& prove, quite rightfully) that you're providing Financial support to next of Kin overseas in order to receive some Tax relief for that. If this is going to be curtailed, then it may make the attraction of working in Japan for some blue-collar workers seem less appealing.

govts, not ‘goats’. LOL. Meeeeh!

Although these issues need addressing, it is Big Pharma, more than anyone else, that rips off the tax payer and goats of nation’s that provide healthcare. Take THEM on, establish an international govt backed pharmaceutical company that is not beholden to greed, greed oh, and greed. See prices slashed, budgets freed up for schools, roads, and much, much more because Big Pharma is a CON!

If resident kin -- including great-grandparents and grandchildren financially supported by the workers -- to be living in Japan are covered by the national health system then why non-resident can't? If both are financially supported by the workers. Govt. like flower not it's spines???

Make them join the NHI instead. Problem solved

Just another hoop of ever smaller hoops put in place to limit foreign workers access to health care in the country they pay tax in and work in. in the most complicated and confusing manner. They will need a lawyer for a doctors visit. Although I applaud limiting family privileges to nearest and dearest. After all I too pay taxes.

It must be very strict already, otherwise all old people would just jump on their children's hoken.

There are definite terms on which they are allowable. Most elderly have an income which would preclude many from being included, not to mention just how many great-grandchildren are actually old enough to be employed and making enough money to support their great-grandparents in the first place?

why not cancel mandatory national for them ( since they are temporary here anyway) and make it mandatory to purchase private as work condition ? Actually, make that valid for all temp visas., that would reduce bureaucratic burden of processing and remove any abuse concerns.

Maybe they should include something that would prevent the old people clinic hopping instead of discriminating againsts foreign workers who pay the same premium amount with the japanese

Japan's national health insurance system, which covers medical expenses by not only corporate workers but also their kin, currently does not require the kin -- including great-grandparents and grandchildren financially supported by the workers -- to be living in Japan.

Two things to say here. Firstly, I am surprised the foreign workers will be on shakai hoken anyway. I thought they would be told to sign up for kokumin kenko hoken like Japanese arbeiters.

Secondly, if you have shakai hoken, you can have "great-grandparents and grandchildren" as dependents? I had no idea that was possible. It must be very strict already, otherwise all old people would just jump on their children's hoken.

Easy answer is to not employ slave labor, who will milk the system in any way possible as they are very poor and see japan as a place where gold rains from the sky. Lived and worked in London. Saw it so many times in so many hospitals I was in.

Akie

Thats really nice, I did NOT know that.

Unfortunately what does that have to with insurance policy in 2018? This article is loaded with clickbait, but the issue is a regular one.

I also don’t go around living 100% in the past regarding things my great grandfather and his sons were involved in.

At the moment there are hundreds of thousands of Chinese living in Japan and we are getting along and taking care of each other for the most part too.

Surely the abuse of the system is to be found elsewhere?

No way, Japanese are all trustworthy and do nothing to abuse the system! It's ALWAYS the foreigner!

Surely the abuse of the system is to be found elsewhere?

This is fear mongering.....

The current health insurance card does not contain many more details than just a name. This means that anybody in a similar age group can use the card. Perhaps they should upgrade the card to include photo ID and stop so many Japanese from abusing the system.

His remarks were made a day after informed sources said Japan is set to revise its public health insurance system and apply stricter rules for its coverage to prevent abusive use by both Japanese and foreign workers.

How about the LDP address the issues of the companies that hire foreigners and yet refuse to pay the shakai hoken they are required to pay by law? Why always scapegoating the workers while giving the scum companies and their presidents a pass? Oh wait- Abe is in bed with THOSE.. never mind.

It's bizarre that non-residents are covered by the national health system. The reforms seem plain common sense.

thepersoniamnow, obviously, you don't know how Japanese women and children were treated after the war, by Chinese. Once upon a time, there were more than 200,000 Japanese women and Children were abandoned by their Japanese men. They were left in China, suffering illness and hunger. It was Chinese people who saved them, fed them, cured them, without any insurances required. Many Chinese can't even feed their own children sufficiently, but still shared everything with the Japanese, who just invaded their country not even a month ago.

More ridiculous scare stories about the tiny minority of foreigners who abuse the health system, compared to the greater numbers of Japanese that do the same.

Govt has to do what govt has to do: to protect people no matter what. Having said that, the govt also has to protect money.

Uhhh I don’t think that the health insurance system of the worlds most indebted nation need serve the kin of those not even in the nation.

That seems too generous considering that the pension system is bankrupt.

This more an article about (again) increasing foreign workers than about revising the health insurance system.

Japan is considering accepting more Asian refugees who are under protection in neighboring countries from 2020, with an eye to doubling the current annual ceiling of around 30.

Wow, how gracious! Why not give priority to refugees who are willing to work? (Which is a pretty safe assumption, they aren't coming here just for a hand out)

Kill two birds with one stone, help those that NEED assistance, and increase the work force at the same time?