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For many decades, the Singapore Government has adopted a policy of a “no welfare state”. now take a look at japan welfare system ......
The Health care system :
in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage. Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.
Annual health checks (kenshin) are provided free to just about everyone in Japan, including foreigners. They are provided once a year for company employees employed for over a year, and at junior and senior high schools. Pre-school children, the elderly and the self-employed receive free or subsidized medical care through their local ward or city office.
When you visit a hospital or clinic, you will need to show your health insurance card. If you don't have one, you will probably be charged a nominal fee. Otherwise, you'll pay 10 or 30 percent of the costs, depending on which kind of insurance you have .
personal anecdote: last time , when I had no insurance cover - nobody ever asked and I never needed it, but - I suffered from some lower back pain. I thought maybe it was a slipped disc so I went to a local chiropractic clinic. I was asked for my insurance card and I said I'd forgotten it. I was seen by the doctor, had a couple of x-rays taken, did a session on a stretching machine and received a bunch of muscle relaxants and pain killers and a belt/girdle. For all of which, I was much relieved, I only had to pay 5,000 yen ( about $sin 70 ). Getting married , made me think again about not being insured so I went with an international insurance scheme. This kind of scheme has flat rates, regardless of your income. In my case, this comes to about 15,000 yen a month, less than I'd pay for Japanese insurance and it covers me abroad, too. Mind you, I've yet to have a need to use it, in Japan or elsewhere.
Japan has a system of universal health coverage, but exactly how it applies to any given person depends on several factors: whether you're working, visiting or a student, your age and so on. Variations in how the different systems are translated into English can also cause confusion. There are two main systems and both have subcategories and other complications so the descriptions here have been simplified and will apply to most foreigners in Japan.
Medical insurance can be divided into two broad categories: the community-based system of National Health Insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken, or kokuho) and Employees' Health Insurance (shakai kenkou hoken, or shakai hoken). Membership of one or the other scheme is compulsory. Monthly premiums are calculated slightly differently for each but are based mostly on salary. Coverage for medical costs also vary between the schemes.
Employees' Insurance
Employees' Health Insurance (sometimes referred to as Society-managed) has a few subcategories but broadly speaking it applies to people who are:
1) working for medium to large companies
2) working for national or local government
3 )working for private schools
The employer provides a health insurance certificate to employees. Premiums are calculated based on the insured person's monthly salary (not including bonuses, which are taxed separately), are divided equally between the employee and their employer and are deducted form the monthly paycheck. On average, the deduction is around 4 percent. Premiums are calculated based on the previous year's salary . The insured is exempt from premium payments for up to one year taken for child-care leave. Members of the Employees' Insurance scheme must also join the Employees' Pension Insurance scheme . Members of this scheme pay only 20 percent of their medical costs. Family members pay 20 percent when hospitalized and 30 percent for outpatient costs .in some cases , which they receive full coverage. The insurance covers sickness, injury and necessary DENTAL WORK ( yes ...you dont have that in singapore ) . In the case of long-term sickness or childbirth, the insured (or their spouse in the latter case) will receive an allowance, based on the insured's salary. In the case of the death of the insured or their dependents, an allowance for the funeral is paid.
baby bonus :
per child will be paid ( 12,000yen per month ) until 12 years old
single parent will received ( 42,000yen per month ) per child until child is 18years old .
school fee is free until 12years old .
medical free until kids is 12 years old .
school is free until kids reach 12years old .
japanese adult who is jobless will received ( at least 100,000yen per month ) some are paid even more depending on their last draw salary .
The Health care system :
in Japan provides healthcare services, including screening examinations, prenatal care and infectious disease control, with the patient accepting responsibility for 30% of these costs while the government pays the remaining 70%. Payment for personal medical services is offered through a universal health care insurance system that provides relative equality of access, with fees set by a government committee. People without insurance through employers can participate in a national health insurance program administered by local governments. Patients are free to select physicians or facilities of their choice and cannot be denied coverage. Hospitals, by law, must be run as non-profit and be managed by physicians. For-profit corporations are not allowed to own or operate hospitals. Clinics must be owned and operated by physicians.
Annual health checks (kenshin) are provided free to just about everyone in Japan, including foreigners. They are provided once a year for company employees employed for over a year, and at junior and senior high schools. Pre-school children, the elderly and the self-employed receive free or subsidized medical care through their local ward or city office.
When you visit a hospital or clinic, you will need to show your health insurance card. If you don't have one, you will probably be charged a nominal fee. Otherwise, you'll pay 10 or 30 percent of the costs, depending on which kind of insurance you have .
personal anecdote: last time , when I had no insurance cover - nobody ever asked and I never needed it, but - I suffered from some lower back pain. I thought maybe it was a slipped disc so I went to a local chiropractic clinic. I was asked for my insurance card and I said I'd forgotten it. I was seen by the doctor, had a couple of x-rays taken, did a session on a stretching machine and received a bunch of muscle relaxants and pain killers and a belt/girdle. For all of which, I was much relieved, I only had to pay 5,000 yen ( about $sin 70 ). Getting married , made me think again about not being insured so I went with an international insurance scheme. This kind of scheme has flat rates, regardless of your income. In my case, this comes to about 15,000 yen a month, less than I'd pay for Japanese insurance and it covers me abroad, too. Mind you, I've yet to have a need to use it, in Japan or elsewhere.
Japan has a system of universal health coverage, but exactly how it applies to any given person depends on several factors: whether you're working, visiting or a student, your age and so on. Variations in how the different systems are translated into English can also cause confusion. There are two main systems and both have subcategories and other complications so the descriptions here have been simplified and will apply to most foreigners in Japan.
Medical insurance can be divided into two broad categories: the community-based system of National Health Insurance (kokumin kenkou hoken, or kokuho) and Employees' Health Insurance (shakai kenkou hoken, or shakai hoken). Membership of one or the other scheme is compulsory. Monthly premiums are calculated slightly differently for each but are based mostly on salary. Coverage for medical costs also vary between the schemes.
Employees' Insurance
Employees' Health Insurance (sometimes referred to as Society-managed) has a few subcategories but broadly speaking it applies to people who are:
1) working for medium to large companies
2) working for national or local government
3 )working for private schools
The employer provides a health insurance certificate to employees. Premiums are calculated based on the insured person's monthly salary (not including bonuses, which are taxed separately), are divided equally between the employee and their employer and are deducted form the monthly paycheck. On average, the deduction is around 4 percent. Premiums are calculated based on the previous year's salary . The insured is exempt from premium payments for up to one year taken for child-care leave. Members of the Employees' Insurance scheme must also join the Employees' Pension Insurance scheme . Members of this scheme pay only 20 percent of their medical costs. Family members pay 20 percent when hospitalized and 30 percent for outpatient costs .in some cases , which they receive full coverage. The insurance covers sickness, injury and necessary DENTAL WORK ( yes ...you dont have that in singapore ) . In the case of long-term sickness or childbirth, the insured (or their spouse in the latter case) will receive an allowance, based on the insured's salary. In the case of the death of the insured or their dependents, an allowance for the funeral is paid.
baby bonus :
per child will be paid ( 12,000yen per month ) until 12 years old
single parent will received ( 42,000yen per month ) per child until child is 18years old .
school fee is free until 12years old .
medical free until kids is 12 years old .
school is free until kids reach 12years old .
japanese adult who is jobless will received ( at least 100,000yen per month ) some are paid even more depending on their last draw salary .
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