Nova and Health Insurance

While clearly breaking the law by not enrolling eligible teachers in Shakai Hoken, Nova further exasperates the problem by squeezing profits from their own illegal insurance scheme: Japan Medical Assistance (JMA). Nova, in the apparent interests of its employees, requires all new instructors to have insurance (and proof thereof) before coming to Japan. Nova also happens to offer its own insurance in the form of JMA health insurance. Prospective employees are unaware of Shakai Hoken and its benefits. They are offered, or pushed into, JMA. The result is that Nova manages to shirk its legal responsibilities by not paying into a compulsory, government established insurance system, and is instead having its employees pay Nova for a private insurance system.

Nova's recent response to our demands outlines clearly that they are breaking the law by not enrolling teachers. It also shows their further contempt for the law by "back enrolling" those who become sick and are not covered by JMA. They are doubly robbing the system - not paying the monthly premiums as required by law, and expecting the national scheme to cover medical costs that their own JMA refuses to. This is wrong!

The General Union will continue to fight over this issue. Talks have already been held with Mitsui Sumitomo (underwriters of JMA Insurance) who stated that to sell such a scheme in Japan is breaking the law. More to follow in the coming months.

For more information on the benefits of shakai hoken insurance and kosei nenkin pension insurance, and why the General Union believes all eligible employees should be enrolled please click here (pdf - requires free reader).

www.generalunion.org/nova to see more

When I went for my interview at Nova, the guy told me straight out not to get JMA & to look for other insurance.

cazbar said:

When I went for my interview at Nova, the guy told me straight out not to get JMA & to look for other insurance.

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Good there are some people admitting it is crap....There is a maximum claim of 3 million yen. It doesn't take long to exceed that. I had and accident and for 2 weeks, operations etc it was 2,000,000. And it wasn't so serious.

Did he happen to mention shakai hoken? nova has told the union that all teachers are informed of it. Was that true in your case?

cazbar said:

When I went for my interview at Nova, the guy told me straight out not to get JMA & to look for other insurance.

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good to hear there is at leat one honest one amongst them.

I've got worldwide health insurance through Cigna where there is no participation (I pay nothing) for any medical service, hospital, prescriptions, repatriation...50% for dental services.

Still, my company put it in the letter of offer that I must enrol into national health fund, regardless of other insurances I might have.

So, I am paying 45000Y each month for national health scheme although I will never ever use it (I prefer international hospitals should there be a need and no participation).

I was definitely offered JMA and accepted it in the hiring process with NOVA because it was convient and seemed like a good price compared to what I'm used to in the US. I was never advised to accept it or find something else. Personally, I really apreciated having an easy way to get insurance without having to go through hours of rigorous research (like I have here).
Is it really a bad deal? What's wrong with it compared to other available programs? What is Shakai Hoken?

think_too_mut said:

I've got worldwide health insurance through Cigna where there is no participation (I pay nothing) for any medical service, hospital, prescriptions, repatriation...50% for dental services.

Still, my company put it in the letter of offer that I must enrol into national health fund, regardless of other insurances I might have.

So, I am paying 45000Y each month for national health scheme although I will never ever use it (I prefer international hospitals should there be a need and no participation).

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Do you mean thru your local ward office? Or is it deducted direct from your salary?

I worked for a similar English school my first year in Japan.... same thing. No insurance, although the boss actually did pay the medical bill of a few people that got sick. Insurance *IS* compulsory in Japan, but there's some weird rules. Once you start, you can't get off, but if you dont' start, you don't have to pay. I wasn't on shakai houken until the start of my 3rd year.... I had international insurance. Then, when I wanted to get off of that and get international insurance, as I knew I'd be moving to the states one day, I had to pay for both... and shakai houken/kokumin houken my friends, is expensive for the lame quality you get. It's basically like paying a tax, and you get mandatory social insurance as a benefit.

That's not to say that what Nova's doing is okay... far from it... but they're just taking an angle on a system that takes an angle on everyone.

And as for the retro-active stuff... dont' think that Nova is the only one's doing it. I know quite a few people that pulled a fast one on the insurance offices. One friend even checked into a hotel under his friends name... without telling his friend!