After you leave your employer

Medical care insurance available after leaving your employer

When the insured person (himself/herself) retires, he/she loses the status of being insured by the Hitachi health insurance society, and thereafter will be enrolled in the health insurance system appropriate to his/her situation. In addition, when they reach the age of 75, they will be enrolled in the late-stage medical care system for the elderly.

Post-retirement enrollment pattern

• * Click in the red frame to jump to the link.
• * If you would like to re-enroll in the Hitachi Health Insurance Association from another health insurance society, please contact the person in charge at Hitachi health insurance society.

Remaining a member of the Society

You will automatically lose eligibility as an insured person covered by health insurance from the day after the day of leaving employment. However, there are systems that allow you to remain an insured person under the Hitachi Health Insurance Society if you meet certain conditions. These are the Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons Medical Care System and the Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System.

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 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.
* Since you must join the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly when you reach the age of 75, you will lose your eligibility as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person at that point, even if two years have yet to pass.

Insurance premiums you are required to pay

You must pay the full amount of the applicable insurance premiums yourself, including the amount paid by the insured person and the amount previously paid by your employer. When you become a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person, the employer will no longer pay any portion of your insurance premiums. You must pay them yourself by the deadline.

You can pay insurance premiums monthly or in advance for a fixed period of time. Those paying in advance will receive statutory discounts on their premiums.
You can pay premiums in advance for one half-year (April through September or October through March) or one full year (April through March).
Check the details by clicking “See here for simulation details” on the Insurance Premium Simulation page.

Standard monthly remuneration

The standard remuneration on which calculations of insurance premiums are based is the standard monthly remuneration at the time of leaving employment (losing eligibility).

Details of insurance benefits

Although you will not receive Maternity Allowance or Injury and Sickness Allowance, you will receive all other statutory benefits and additional benefits in the same way as you did when you were with your employer.
* If you are eligible to receive benefits even after loss of eligibility, you will be paid Maternity Allowance or Injury and Sickness Allowance as well.

Loss of eligibility as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person

You will lose your eligibility as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person on the following day (the same day in cases 2 and 5) in any of the following cases:

• Two years have passed since the date you became an insured person.
• You begin employment and become an insured person under another health insurance or similar program.
• Upon your death
• You do not pay your insurance premiums by the date due.
• You join the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly as an insured person, etc.
• If you applied to have your status as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person cleared, the last day of the month including the date on which the application was received

Those who are eligible to become a Special-Case Retired Person

All of the following conditions must be met:

• Must have a certificate of residence in Japan.
• Must be eligible to receive Old-Age Employees’ Pension benefits (including cases of accelerated receipt, delayed receipt, or payment suspension).
• Your insured period (as a compulsorily insured person) in the Hitachi Health Insurance Society must be either of the following:
  (1) 20 years or longer
  (2) 10 years or longer since age 40
  * Excluding the period as a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person, which does not count as a period as a compulsorily insured person.
• Must not be eligible for the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly.

How long you can be a Special-Case Retired Person

From the day of becoming a Special-Case Retired Person until you join the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly.

Insurance premiums to be paid

You must pay yourself the entire amount of insurance premiums previously payable by both the insured person and the employer. When you become a Special-Case Retired Person, the employer will no longer pay any portion of your insurance premiums. You must pay them yourself by the deadline.

You can pay insurance premiums monthly or in advance for a fixed period of time. Those paying in advance will receive statutory discounts on their premiums.
You can pay premiums in advance for one half-year (April through September or October through March) or one full year (April through March).
Check the details by clicking “See here for simulation details” on the Insurance Premium Simulation page.

Standard monthly remuneration

The standard remuneration on which calculations of insurance premiums are based is the amount specified by statute (280,000 yen) which is within the average standard monthly remuneration for all insured persons in the Hitachi Health Insurance Society as of September 30 of the previous year, excluding Special-Case Retired Persons.

Details of insurance benefits

Maternity Allowance and Injury and Sickness Allowance will not be paid in principle. Other statutory and additional benefits will be paid in the same way as when you were employed.
* Maternity Allowance and Injury and Sickness Allowance will be paid if the conditions for continuing benefits after disqualification are met.

When to lose eligibility as a Special-Case Retired Person

You will lose your eligibility as a Special-Case Retired Person on the day after the day of any of the following (or the same day in cases 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6):

• You become an insured person under the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly.
• You become an insured person under another health insurance society after starting new employment.
• You pass away.
• You become a dependent of a family member.
• You begin to reside overseas (i.e., you no longer have residence registered in Japan).
• You begin to receive public assistance.
• You fail to pay insurance premiums by the specified deadline.
• Arrival of the last day of the month that includes the day your request to withdraw from the Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System was received