The International Schools Review Forum

Hello all.. 1st time posting and just needed a hand if anyone has any experience in Japan.

I have been offered a position in Tokyo the pay seems reasonable, plus they give extra for housing. But, my question is in regards to health insurance. They suggest to Budget 60000 yen per month for health insurance. Is this normal? Coming from a country that we pay a fraction of that per year I just wanted to see if I understood it correctly.


Thanks.

Hmmm. That does seem a little steep from what I remember but that was a few years back. Is that for a family or individual?

The insurance rates differ based on income, where you live etc. The school should know better then anyone here what it will cost you but on the face of it, it sounds like a lot. What I do recall is that since the rate is income based, the first year rates were minimal and then jumped up to around 30,000 yen per month for a family of 3.

Things seem to have changed recently though, so it's worth asking for more details about the insurance costs, carrier (national?) benefits etc.

It is for a family of 3 (Wife and baby)... So it seems in the realms of possibility by your post. Thank you for that. Something I need to either budget for if I can.

I have a wife and two young children - I pay about 40,000 yen a month for health insurance and pension on the plan that I am on.

Yes it sounds reasonable but it should be lower in your first year. Also, this will only give you 70% coverage. You have to pay the remaining 30% of bills. However, as long as you are not one of those people who goes to the doctor for every tiny little thing this shouldn't be a factor in your decision. Plus, even though you have to pay 30%, costs are low.

You can ignore all of what I just said if the school pay into a private scheme. Many schools seem to get around the requirement of having to pay into the national scheme and use companies such as Cigna. In this case you would pay all fees upfront and then claim a refund (minus any deductibles) from the provider.

If the figure quoted is the national plan and also includes pension contributions you can get the pension back when you leave. Many schools seem to find a way around international teachers having to contribute to the pension scheme though.