Remaining a member of the Society (about the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons)

[1] Benefits

You can continue to receive the benefits paid by the Recruit Health Insurance Society, with some exceptions.
<Ineligible benefits>

Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons are not eligible for an Injury and Sickness Allowance or Maternity Allowance. However, you may be eligible for continued benefits if you satisfy certain conditions, so please check the payment eligibility conditions on the Recruit Health Insurance Society website, which you can find on the [Systems]  [After you leave your employer] explanatory page.

[2] Health support

You can receive health checkup services provided by the Health Insurance Society in place of the periodic health examinations provided by the employer while you are employed.
The Recruit Health Insurance Society will notify eligible persons separately by post.

• * Eligibility for these checkups is subject to certain conditions. For more information, see “健保サポート (Health support)” → “健康チェック (Health checkups)” on the Recruit Health Insurance Society website.
• * You can continue to use health consultation and refreshment (fitness) services.
  

Eligibility for membership

• Must have been an insured person continuously for at least two months through the day before the date of loss of eligibility (i.e., through the date of leaving employment) (this excludes periods of coverage as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person).
• Must submit by post the Application Form for Certification as Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person within 20 days from the date of loss of eligibility. (Faxed applications will not be accepted.)
  

• * If you are unable to print the application form, the Recruit Health Insurance Society will send one by post. Request the application form in advance to ensure you can submit it by the deadline.

Insurance premiums

• ■Insurance premiums are paid by the month, not calculated by the day.
• ■Insurance premiums are incurred at the time you join the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons.
  (One month’s premiums will be collected for the month in which you join the system, even if you attained eligibility as an insured person on the last day of the month.)

Example: Left employment on April 28 and joined the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons.

• ■If an insured person whose membership carried over from the previous month loses his or her eligibility during the current month, no premiums will be collected for the current month.
  (Premiums already paid will be returned/refunded.)

Example: Left employment on April 10 and joined the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons. Then, took a job on May 15 and joined a new health insurance plan.
Insurance premiums for May under the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons already paid

* The Health Insurance Society will notify you if you are due a refund of premiums under the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons.

• ■If you lose your eligibility for the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons in the same month in which you join, premiums will still be collected, since they were incurred at the time you joined the system. (Premiums paid for that month will not be returned/refunded.)
• * Note that if you became an insured person under a new health insurance plan due to a new job or other reasons in the first month in which you joined the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons, you will be required to pay the first month’s premiums for both the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons and the new health insurance plan.

Example: Left employment on March 31 and joined the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons. Then, took a job on April 20 and joined a new health insurance plan.

[Long-term care insurance premiums]

• For those aged 40-64 and those with dependents aged 40-64, long-term care insurance premiums are collected in the same way as health insurance premiums.
• For those older than 65, premiums will be collected directly by the municipality of the certificate of residence.
• * Note: For insured persons 65 or older with dependents aged 40-64, the insured person’s premiums will be collected by the municipality; those for dependent family members will be collected by the Recruit Health Insurance Society in the same way as for health insurance premiums.
  

Amounts of insurance premiums (health insurance premiums and long-term care insurance premiums)

• Premiums for a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person differ from those during employment in that the employer does not pay anything, so the insured person must pay the entire amount.
• Insurance premiums are determined by using your standard monthly remuneration at the time of leaving employment.
• Insurance premium rates are set by the Society Committee in February of each year. Any changes in premium rates are announced in March of each year.

[Reference]

FY2023 insurance premium rates

• health insurance premiums: 80/1000
• long-term care insurance premiums: 20/1000

For those aged 40-64 and those with dependents aged 40-64, there are long-term care insurance premiums.

* Maximum premiums will be abolished in April of 2023.

参考リンク

• See the monthly insurance premium amount table to check amounts.

Paying health insurance premiums

At the time of your application, you can choose to pay premiums in one lump sum in advance (annual payment, at a discount) or monthly.

• * You cannot change the payment method once you have selected it. Refer to the following information and choose the method best suited to your own situation.

• * Your application to be a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person will be rejected if you fail to make the first premium payment.
• * Note that the Recruit Health Insurance Society will not send any additional payment reminders after the first notice.
• * While the Recruit Health Insurance Society will assume the fees for auto payment (direct debit), you must cover any funds transfer fees.

[Other matters concerning insurance premiums]

• For funds transfers from a bank counter, the transfer slip will serve as your receipt. For auto payments, the passbook record will serve as your receipt.
• If you need documentation of the amount of premiums paid, telephone the Recruit Health Insurance Society to request proof of payment.
  

Grounds for loss of eligibility

You will lose your eligibility as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person in any of the following cases:

• (1) The period of coverage as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person (two years from the date of attaining eligibility) expires.
• (2) Upon your death
• (3) You fail to pay insurance premiums by the deadline. (i.e., when the Recruit Health Insurance Society has been unable to verify crediting of funds to its account by the date specified by the Health Insurance Society for the first payment or by the 10th of each month or the following business day if the 10th is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday for the second and subsequent payments)
• (4) You take a job and become an insured person under a new health insurance plan or Seamen’s Insurance.
• (5) You become an insured person under the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly.
• (6) You apply to withdraw from the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons.
  
  • * The application form for withdrawal from the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons is available on the Health Insurance Society website.
  • * Case (3) takes precedence if you fail to pay premiums by the deadline prior to the date of loss of eligibility specified on the application for withdrawal.
  • * Any premiums paid in advance for the unused period will be refunded.
    

Please return your health insurance card after loss of eligibility

• In cases (1) and (5), a Notice of Loss of Eligibility (Advance Notice of Expiration)/Notification Slip of Expiration will be sent by post from the Health Insurance Society in the middle of the month before the expiration date.
• In case (3), the date of loss of eligibility will be the day after the payment deadline. A Notice of Decision on Loss of Eligibility/Notification Slip of Loss of Eligibility will be sent by post on or after the date of loss of eligibility.
  * Fill out the Notification Slop of Loss of Eligibility (or Expiration) as Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person and return it and the health insurance card in the enclosed return envelope.
  
• See the “Procedures” page for cases (4) and (6).
  

参考リンク

• When you take a new job and become an insured person under another health insurance plan

参考リンク

• If you want to withdraw from the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons

Procedures for the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons and for naming family members as dependents

See the “Procedures” page.

参考リンク

• If you want your family members to remain dependents