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Psychiatrists aid traumatized foreigners
A group of psychiatrists who have been providing mental health support for foreign residents has set up an emergency committee to aid non-Japanese suffering from stress and trauma from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. “Those who are suffering the most are the elderly, children, the handicapped and foreigners. And foreigners are particularly prone to…
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Tokyo gov’t employed worker over 20 years on temp contracts without benefits
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government employed a woman as a librarian for over 20 years through repeated renewals of short-term contracts, meaning the woman has not received commuter expenses or other allowances, or been entered into government employee medical insurance, it has been learned. “We cannot determine if there is a city-employed worker who worked for…
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National health insurance a basic universal safety net
HEALTH INSURANCE All Japanese citizens are required by law to be covered by public health insurance. Because of this universal system, most medical treatment is covered and the costs are reasonable. The first health insurance law took effect in 1927 to protect laborers, and in 1938 the umbrella was extended to farmers, according to the…
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Worker health checks to cover depression
The health ministry plans to make mental health checks mandatory in regular health examinations given at the workplace, health minister Akira Nagatsuma said Monday. The step is aimed at preventing depression and suicide, problems that have been making headlines in recent years, he said. A ministry task force, formed in January, is expected to propose…
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Uninsured matter of death for 33
At least 33 people died in 17 prefectures in 2009 after not visiting doctors because they lacked national health insurance, a private survey showed Thursday. The 33 stopped being covered by the national health insurance scheme after failing to pay insurance premiums due to financial difficulties, the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions said, referring…
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Foreigners rally over job security
Hundreds of foreign and Japanese people staged a rally Sunday in Tokyo demanding better working conditions and employment benefits for foreign residents. At the annual “March in March” event at Hibiya Park in Chiyoda Ward, Louis Carlet, deputy general secretary of the National Union of General Workers Tokyo Nambu, said foreign workers have a great…
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Cuts in national health insurance premiums for people out of work
Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Akira Nagatsuma has announced cuts in national health insurance premiums for people who have lost their jobs. Under a new system beginning in April, the yearly national health insurance premium will be decreased for people who lose their jobs, based on their yearly income. For a couple with one child…
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Foreigners get nod to skip social insurance
The Immigration Bureau announced Wednesday new guidelines for foreign residents, stating that joining the social insurance system is not a requirement for renewing or changing one’s visa status. The bureau told The Japan Times on Feb. 1 that it had decided to change the wording of the new guidelines — which were originally drawn up…
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Health insurance nixed as visa renewal condition
The Immigration Bureau has effectively scrapped a guideline that compelled foreign residents to present health insurance cards when applying to extend visa status, it has been learned. The new guideline, due to be enforced on April 1, states it would have requested non-Japanese to enroll in the social insurance system and present health insurance cards…
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New visa rule on insurance to be deleted
Aim is to ease foreigners’ concerns The Immigration Bureau is planning to change a new guideline for foreign residents to ease concerns that those without social insurance will be forced to choose between losing their visa and entering the insurance system, a bureau official said Monday. But some foreigners warn the move won’t be enough…