Health Insurance Alternatives?

Hi,

I've been working in Japan for 2 years but I left my job to start a post-grad degree from April.

I signed up for the government-run health insurance scheme (国民健康保険) because I told it was mandatory for all students studying here for longer than a year (and it seemed like a good idea).

The problem is that it seems the rate is based on my tax amount from Last year. So while I'm not earning now, and won't be once I start my degree, they're going to charge me 50,000 a month for insurance.
(Side note: I was paying 25,000 a month at the company and the company paid the other half.)
Also one other oddity, I noticed for the first year I was here, I was still paying 25,000 yen a month, even though they wouldn't have had last year's tax to calculate my insurance rate.

Does anyone know if there's a way around this?
Private health insurance, somehow getting them to ''update'' my tax stuff based on the fact I'll be on a student visa, anything.
I really don't want to spend 50,000 a month for 12 months while not earning :S

As long as you weren't earning above a certain amount (about 11 million yen) for the previous year there is a petition you can file to have your premium rate adjusted.

When you left your company, were you informed on 任意継続? （http://www.kyoukaikenpo.or.jp/11,0,45.html）

This option is often cheaper for the first year after leaving your company but since you quite in April, you are no longer eligible.
Still might be worth calling them, especially if you were not informed of that option by your company.

Thanks for the information.

I actually quit at the end of October, and plan to be 'on vacation' until April.

So I have ot apply for ''任意継続''? And that means I can get my rate re-adjusted?
Or what's the readjustment thing called in Japanese?

任意継続 and 国民健康保険 are two different systems.

任意継続 is the continuation of the health insurance you had with your employer.

国民健康保険 is the insurance you go to the ward office to apply for.

Although their official deadline is 20 days since the end of your job, they have the power to make exceptions so it might be worth making a phone call or visiting (IF you weren't informed of this option).

For the adjustment, you just go to the ward office and explain your situation.
I'm not sure what the official title of the form is, but it's the equivalent of "所得変動に伴う減額措置".

You can use this to have a review of health insurance and resident taxes.

The best thing to do is go ASAP to your ward office.
They can be helpful but if you miss application deadlines "I didn't know" rarely works as an excuse (there are no set guidelines and these decisions are left up to the supervisor on duty that day!).

Thanks for the info again!

I've already signed up for the health insurance stuff and they sent through the bill just now so I don't know how much I can get readjusted :S

They didn't tell me about the tax readjustment option at all.

I just rang the ward office and spoke to someone. He basically said I couldn't get anything changed (but I guess he would say that). I have to pay full-whack until April, then from April 2011 for 1 year I'll pay the amount based on my tax from April to October 2010, so about 1/2 of what I'm paying now.
Then from April 2012 I'll finally be paying my student rates.

So I'm looking at Y200,000 by April 2011,
then another Y200,000 spread over 12 months. Then finally

Even if I had worked my job until April it seems I would have had to pay full insurance while being a student for an entire year. The system seems designed to screw over anyone who quits.

Anyhoo, I'll try to get this tax readjustment option. If I can get that done then 99% of my problems should be resolved.

These reductions and adjustments are case by case so I would not get my hopes up too high.

Obviously, it's not in the interests of a public worker to reduce your payments but it never hurts to ask. Definitely the insurance premium reduction is more likely than the tax one.