Medical treatment fees are not free in Japan regardless of whether the hospital is public or private. Therefore, there are various public medical security systems to reduce your burden. The medical security system will be explained in the following section.
日本では、医療費は公立・私立の病院を問わず、有料となっています。
そこで患者さんの負担を減らすため、様々な医療費負担制度があります。ここでは、医療保険について見てみましょう。 |
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| ▼Public Medical Insurance 公的医療保険－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ |
There are two types of public medical insurances: Health Insurance and National Health Insurance. People who reside in Japan must join one of the insurances regardless of their nationality.
公的な医療保険には健康保険と国民健康保険があります。日本に住んでいる人は国籍を問わず、いずれかの保険に加入しなければなりません。 |
Generally, people must buy a set of insurance plans, such as "Health
Insurance and the Welfare Pension Insurance" and "National Health
Insurance and National Pension".
これらの保険は通常「健康保険と厚生年金保険」、「国民健康保険と国民年金」のセットで加入しなければなりません。 |
Public medical insurance covers medical treatments for illness and injury. However, insurance does not cover particular situations; for example:
公的医療保険は病気やけがなどで治療する場合には使用できますが、以下の場合には使用することができないので注意してください。 |
| １． |
Traffic accidents → Medical expenses should be covered by the automobile
insurance company.
交通事故 → 自動車保険から医療費が支払われる。 |
| ２． |
Accidents which occurred at work or on the way to the office. → The medical
expenses should be covered by the Workmen's Accident Compensation Insurance.
労働中・通勤中に起こった事故 → 労働災害保険から支払われる |
| ３． |
Cosmetic surgery/cosmetic dental surgery. → Patients pay 100％ of their own expenses.
美容整形・美容歯科整形 → 自己負担 |
| ４． |
Regular birth/delivery. → Patients pay 100％ of their own expenses. Instead,
300,000 yen will be awarded after birth as lump sum birth allowance.
正常分娩 → 自己負担（出産時には、出産育児一時金として30万円が支給されます。） |
| ５． |
Abortion. → Not covered by any health insurances.
人工妊娠中絶 → 自己負担 |
| ６． |
Medical treatments which were held outside Japan. → Buying overseas travelers' personal accident insurance is recommended.
日本国外での治療 → 海外旅行保険に加入しておきましょう。 |
| ７． |
Medical checkups, including complete medical checkups. → Patients pay
100％ of their own expenses. Your workplace might pay part of your medical
expense.
人間ドックなどの健康診断検査 → 個人負担・会社の一部負担など |
| ８． |
Special medical treatments not covered by any health insurances. → Patients
pay 100％ of their own expenses.
その他、保険適用外の特別治療など → 自己負担 |
| ９． |
Medical treatments for special diseases such as tuberculosis (TB). → Medical expenses will be exempted or reduced for certain diseases fixed by law.
結核などの特別疾患の治療 → 法律で定められた特定の病気に対しては医療費が免除・減額されます。 |
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The Actual Circumstances of the Health Insurance
健康保険の実際 |
In principle, people who are employed and working in Japan are eligible
to join a health insurance plan regardless of their nationality. However,
in some cases foreign residents are exempted from being applicable participants
of the health insurance system.
健康保険に国籍要件はなく、雇用されて働いている者は日本人、外国人の区別なく適用されることになっています。しかし、下に述べるような健康保険の適用除外に該当する外国人が多いのも事実です。 |
| ① |
Applicable participants should have a proper working visa and be currently employed by a business office. People who do not have a proper working visa, temporary visitors, and students from abroad are not eligible to join a health insurance plan.
労働可能な在留資格を有している人で、事業所と使用関係がある人。つまり、就労が可能な在留資格を持たない人はもちろん、短期滞在者、留学生等は就労ができないため健康保険に加入できません。 |
| ② |
An individual office which employs less than 5 people is able to join a
health insurance plan voluntarily.
従業員5人未満の個人事業所は健康保険に任意加入となります。 |
| ③ |
Temporary and seasonal workers are not able to join a health insurance
plan.
臨時・季節的業務に使用される労働者は健康保険に加入できません。 |
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Because of the expensive premium and the obligation to buy the welfare pension insurance at the same time, some people refuse to join a health insurance plan. Those people should be careful, because if they join a health insurance plan after a certain period, they are requested to pay all the unpaid premiums which is calculated from the first month they are employed.
保険料が高額であることや、厚生年金保険とセットで加入しなくてはならないために、労働者の方で健康保険の加入を拒否するという問題もありますが、雇用されてから時間が経過して健康保険に加入すると、雇用された当初からの保険料をまとめて納めなければならなくなりますので注意が必要です。 |
