On Air: Fukuoka City Information/2012.2.13(Mon)/19:50～

                    National health insurance

Today’s announcement is for people who have national health insurance, or Kokumin Kenkou Hoken, in Japanese. The health insurance cards will be changed as of April 1^st.

Currently, all members of a household are listed on one, pink colored insurance card. From April, there will be one light purple colored paper for each person covered by the insurance. This new proof of coverage paper, when folded in half, will be the size of a normal card.

In addition, currently those 70 through 74 years old carry National Health Insurance Benefits Card for the elderly, or in Japanese, Kourei Jukyuusha-sho, in addition to prove of health insurance coverage. Again, from April this will change, and the two coverage cards will be merged into one card which will be able to be used for receiving examination services at health care facilities.

In addition each head of household covered by national health insurance will receive their family members’ cards. These cards will be mailed at the end of March. There is no application process required. However, those who have not paid for health insurance and are carrying a balance will have to receive their card at the service counter of their local ward office.

Also, if you would like to receive your health insurance card via registered mail, stop by the Health Insurance and Pension Section, or again in Japanese that’s the Hoken Nenkin Tantou-ka, at your local ward office or processing center by the 20^th of this month. Otherwise cards will be sent via regular post.

If you have questions regarding application for, or changes to, national health insurance, you can also do this by contacting the Health Insurance and Pension Section of your local ward office or processing center.

You can see a sample showing the changes coming to the health insurance card at the Fukuoka City National Health Insurance Section website. It is shown in the New Information section, called Shinchaku Jouhou in Japanese.

The web address is www.city.fukuoka.lg.jp/kokuho. Information is available in English, Chinese and Korean. General information regarding the entire national healthcare insurance system, can also be found at this site.

That was information from Fukuoka City.

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