After you leave your employer
After leaving your employer, you will lose your eligibility for membership in the Health Insurance Society and must join the appropriate medical care insurance program based on your individual circumstances.
- Medical care insurance available after leaving your employer
- Remaining a member of the Society
- You can receive benefits even after leaving your employer.
- Tips
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- Promptly return any certificates issued to you as an employee after leaving your employer.
- In some cases, you may continue to receive benefits even after losing your eligibility as an insured person.
Return your health insurance card and Eligibility Verification Certificate, etc. (if issued) within five days of your loss of eligibility as an insured person after leaving your employer. Thereafter, you must join the appropriate medical care insurance program based on your individual circumstances.
If you have registered to use a Myna health insurance card, you do not need to register once again upon changing jobs or retirement. However, you must still notify the insurer (health insurance society, mutual aid association, etc.; notify your municipality if you join National Health Insurance).
* Check with your current insurer if the latest eligibility information is notReturn your health insurance card, etc. issued to you as an employee after leaving your employer. shown when your Myna health insurance card is scanned.
Medical care insurance available after leaving your employer
Remaining a member of the Society
While you will lose your eligibility as an insured person under the health insurance system the day after you leave your employer, a system is available whereby you can remain an insured person under the Health Insurance Society if you meet certain conditions. This is known as the system for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons.
Who can become a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person
To become a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person, you must meet all of the following conditions:
- You must have lost your eligibility as an insured person under the health insurance system for specific reasons: for example, you left your employer.
- You must have been an insured person for at least two consecutive months prior to the date you lost your eligibility.
- You must apply to become a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person within 20 days after the date on which you lost your eligibility.
How long you can be a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person?
You can be a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person for up to two years.
Note to persons considering becoming voluntarily and continuously insured persons
Since April 2010, measures have been implemented whereby National Health Insurance premiums (tax) for those who have lost their jobs for reasons such as bankruptcy, layoffs, or failure to renew employment contracts will be based on income calculated at 30% of income during the previous year, for the period from the day after employment ends through the end of the following fiscal year.
For persons eligible under these measures, the cost of insurance premiums under National Health Insurance may be lower than under the system for voluntarily and continuously insured persons. Please check with your municipal government. (You must apply to your municipal government to receive this reduction.)
-Insurance benefits
Voluntarily and continuously insured persons can receive the same health insurance benefits and support received by insured persons still employed with the company. However, you will be paid Maternity Allowance or Injury and Sickness Allowance only if you are eligible to receive benefits even after loss of eligibility.
-Insurance premiums for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons
Due to legal amendments and revisions to the statutes (effective April 1, 2024), how insurance premiums are calculated will vary depending on the date of attaining eligibility as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person (i.e., the day after the separation date).
| Separation date | On or after March 31, 2024 | On or before March 30, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Date of attaining eligibility as Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person (i.e., day after separation date) | On or after April 1, 2024 | On or before March 31, 2024 |
| Standard monthly remuneration applied to insurance premium calculation (A) | Standard monthly remuneration at time of separation | The lower of (1) or (2) below:
(1) Standard monthly remuneration at time of separation (2) Average standard monthly remuneration for all Society insured persons (as of the end of September of the previous fiscal year) |
| Insurance premium amount | (A) above × insurance premium rate | (A) above × insurance premium rate |
Refer to The Society's insurance premiums for how to check your standard monthly remuneration at the time of separation, (2) the Society’s average standard monthly remuneration, and insurance premium rates.
Since the standard monthly remuneration at the time of separation is fixed at the time of separation, it will not be revised based on income conditions in the previous year during your period as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person. However, insurance premiums for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons may be revised for reasons such as revisions to insurance premium rates or maximum standard monthly remuneration or change in eligibility (upon turning 40) or ineligibility (upon turning 65) for long-term care insurance.
-Paying insurance premiums
Payments should be made to the bank account designated by The Society.
(1) First insurance premium: Insurance premium for the month of enrollment
Once the enrollment procedure has been completed, you will receive an Insurance Premium Notice and information on the bank account for payment transfers and payment deadlines. Please make the payment by the payment deadline. If the payment of the first insurance premium has not been made by the payment deadline, it will be considered as if there was no application from the voluntarily and continuously insured person as per Article 37-2 of the Health Insurance Act, and you will be disqualified.
(2) Second insurance premium onward
You may choose from payment options of paying every month, paying a lump sum every half year, or paying a lump sum every fiscal year.
The payment deadline for monthly payments is the tenth of every month (or the next business day if the tenth is a Saturday, Sunday, or public holiday). If the insurance premium has not been paid by the payment date, you will be disqualified as an insured person from the day after the payment deadline as per Article 38-3 of the Health Insurance Act.
-When you lose your qualification
After voluntary and continuous enrollment, you can only be disqualified or withdraw for the following reasons. Please note that you cannot be disqualified on a voluntary date. (Health Insurance Act, Article 38)
| Reason for disqualification | Date of disqualification |
|---|---|
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Date of disqualification: Date of acquisition of insurance status for the other health insurance society |
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Date of disqualification: Day following the payment deadline |
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Date of disqualification: Date on which two years have passed
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Date of disqualification: Day following the date of death |
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Date of disqualification: Your 75th birthday |
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The last day of the month including the date on which the application was received |
You can receive benefits even after leaving your employer.
In some cases, persons who have been insured persons continuously for at least one year prior to leaving employment may be eligible to receive Injury and Sickness Allowance, the Childbirth and Childcare Lump-Sum Grant, Maternity Allowance, and funeral expenses, even after losing their eligibility.
However, in such cases, additional benefits will not be paid.
Benefits paid after leaving employment (benefits paid to the insured person only, not to dependents)
| After Disqualification （Insured persons） |
After Disqualification （Dependents） |
（Insured persons） | （Dependents） | |
| High-Cost Medical Case Benefits | Χ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
| High-Cost Medical Case Benefits Additional Sum | Χ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
| Injury and Sickness Allowance | Δ | − | ※ | − |
| Injury and Sickness Allowance Additional Sum | Χ | − | Χ | − |
| Additional Extended Injury and Sickness Allowance | Χ | − | Χ | − |
| Maternity Allowance | Δ | − | ※ | − |
| Maternity Allowance Additional Sum | Χ | − | Χ | − |
| Childbirth and Childcare Lump-Sum Grant | Δ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
| Childbirth and Childcare Additional Sum | Χ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
| Funeral Expenses/Funeral Costs | Δ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
| Funeral Expenses Additional Sum | Χ | Χ | Ο | Ο |
- Ο: Covered
- −: Not included in the system
- Δ: Covered only when the requirement for the benefit is met
- ※: Covered only when the requirement for the benefit is met (requirements are the same as in "Δ")
For requirements, see the followings.
| Conditions for payment: | You must have been receiving, or satisfied the requirements to receive, Injury and Sickness Allowance at the time you left employment and remain unable to work due to treatment of the sickness or injury |
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| Payment period: | For a total of 18 months counted from the payment start date of Injury and Sickness Allowance through the payment period
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| Payment period: | Until the end of the period for receipt of Maternity Allowance |
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