nantonaku <no_spam_please> wrote:

> Hello all!
> 
> I have lurked on this list off and on for some time and have enjoyed and
> learned a lot!
> 
> I have been living in Japan for quite a while, and through some work
> circumstances, have not been part of Japanese National Health Insurance for
> quite a while. I am now eligible to join. 

That was my situation, some years ago. But I already had private
insurance I'd carried with me when I arrived from the UK, so I didn't
see any need to duplicate it by registering for the Japanese version
when I became eligible. 

> Recently, a Japanese friend was
> forced to go freelance, and will therefore lose their company health
> insurance, and is contemplating joining as well.
> 
> I have very little knowledge on what reliable private schemes are available
> here. So, I wanted to tap into your cumulative experience to ask if there is
> any advantage to joining JNHI, rather than looking for a private scheme. Or,
> whether a private scheme would be better? And, if so, do you have any
> recommendations for a reliable vendor?
> 
> I have difficulty with the notion of having my health insurance premiums
> connected to my income - it makes more sense for them to be connected to my
> state of health (and, to some extent, my age). 

Yup. Also, the Japanese health insurance only covers a percentage of the
health costs. I'm not convinced it's a good deal for the individual
(whatever it might be for the community in general), and maybe it's
going to become less of a deal in the future as more older people draw
from funds that fewer younger people are contributing to.

But your decision might depend on whether you intend to stay in Japan
for the rest of your life, of course.

> My friend is still young, so
> I am guessing they may also get a better deal out of it, if they intend on
> trying to increase their income as much as possible as they work for
> themselves. For me, I would have to do a more specific comparison to make
> the final decision. But, any recommendations for a private scheme would be
> very much appreciated!
> 
> I also recall stories of people who found JNHI expensive, but then found
> that the could not get out of the system even if they wanted too. 

That's my overall impression.

________________________________________________________________________
                   Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
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