Student Services

I.T. Support

Translations

"What happens if I get sick?"

Almost every student considering extended overseas study asks this question. An equally important question is to ask for precisely what assistance you will receive from the Institute you are considering enrolling in.

Reprinted with permission from JLEIC Japan Study Guide.

Japan is a safe country and the standard of medical care is one of the world's highest. However we do advise that you need to consider and in some cases make preparations so that your life will be easier during your stay if illness occurs.

Entrance to Minami Hospital

Inside the main campus building, Yamasa has constructed a purpose built infirmary for student use. Also, please note that Yamasa's campus is located next to Minami (South) Hospital - in fact the doors of the hospital and those of the main Yamasa II building are less than 200 meters apart.

All students with student visas are eligible for Japanese National Health Insurance (JNHI). At all times during your stay, Yamasa faculty and administrative staff will be available to assist you with any medical problems or questions you have, and wherever required - in your own language. Communication is usually the most frustrating part of health care when studying abroad, it is something you won't need to worry about as a Yamasa student.

Multilingual Staff are always available to assist you.

Virtually all of Yamasa's faculty and administrative staff have first hand experience of living and studying in a foreign country. For the safety and welfare of our students, Yamasa strongly recommends that all students coming to Japan with a student visa join the Japan National Health Insurance (JNHI) program on arrival. We will provide full assistance.

For Yamasa students, the program is administered by the Okazaki City government and will be funded partly by your premiums, with significant subsidies from both the national and prefectural governments. It provides full cover for medical services include dental services.

The premium usually varies depending on factors such as the applicant's annual income, the number of dependents, etc., with the minimum being approximately 38,000 yen per year. An AIJP student may apply for a reduction of the premium at the time of application, by declaring at the Okazaki City Hall that they have not received any income during the previous year (as the JNHI measures income in terms of 'income earnt in Japan' - this isn't a problem).

The maximum rate of reduction is 60%. The JNHI policy covers between 70% and 80% of the cost of general medical and dental care and hospitalization. You will receive receipts for the part payments you need to make if you require medical attention. If your expenses for one year exceed a certain level (usually 60000 yen per year) then the excess is refunded. Yamasa staff will assist you in obtaining the insurance and any required refunds.

The infirmary on the 4th floor of the Yamasa II building.

JNHI will provide student visa holders with more extensive cover at lower costs and with less bureaucracy than any overseas health insurance provider can match. However since students coming to Yamasa for short courses are not eligible for the JNHI program, we strongly encourage short term students to ensure that you are covered by travel insurance or an international health care insurance policy that is acceptable in Japan for the full period of your stay.

Please note that Japanese hospitals, clinics and other health facilities will generally not accept foreign insurance policies in lieu of payment, so all fees for treatment and hospitalization must be paid in full before discharge. Students covered by foreign policies will be required to pay for all services immediately, and to wait for reimbursement later from their particular insurance scheme. This is something of a hassle - also note that as the receipts provided by Japanese health care providers will invariably be in Japanese, you would normally have trouble gaining reimbursements from the foreign policy provider. However Yamasa's multilingual staff members are experienced at providing certified translations and will assist you in obtain the documentation you need for reimbursement.