photo by BBG
As you know, medical costs to treat injuries and sicknesses caused in the course of work or commuting are not covered by Employee’s Health Insurance. Such work-related injuries and illnesses are normally covered by Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance. The major advantage of Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance is that it provides full coverage for such medical costs while Employee’s Health Insurance coverage remain 70%. Among several benefits provided by Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance, a payment to reimburse medical costs is called Medical Compensation Benefit. This is the most common benefits claimed with Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance. This column will explain how to make a claim for this benefit.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible to receive Medical Compensation Benefit from Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance, you must be granted as a “worker”. Claims should be made by the following people or an entity.
- Insured worker himself or herself
- Family member of insured worker
- Employer
Have treatments at designated medical institution
If you have a work-related injury or illness, it is recommended to have medical treatments at a designated medical institution of Workers Accident Compensation Insurance, if possible. This is because your medical costs can be fully covered and there will be no payment at such a designated clinic if you hand in the required documents on the day. Of course your medical expenses will eventually be reimbursed even though you had treatments at non-designated institution. However, you will have to pay the cost in full first, then make a claim for a reimbursement. Note that required documents and procedures to claim vary depending on the type of medical institution at which you were treated and whether the accident occurred during the course of your job or commuting.
※No matter the type of medical institution you are in, make sure to advise your care provider that your injury or illness is caused by work-related accident.
Required documents
To claim benefits with Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance, you need to provide the following documents. The claim form can be obtained from a branch office of Labour Standards Inspection Office as well as from the website of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Designated medical institution
- Medical Treatment Benefits Claims Form: Form No.5 for an accident during working, Form No.16-3 for an accident during commuting
※A claim form should be passed to the medical institution at which you have treatments.
Non-designated medical institution
- Medical Treatment Benefits Claims Form: Form No.7 for an accident during working, Form No.16-5 for an accident during commuting
- Supporting documents such as a payment receipt or tax invoice issued by the medical institution and doctor’s certificate (to be attached with a claim form)
※Those documents should be submitted at the nearest Labour Standards Inspection Office.
Procedures to make a claim
Designated medical institution
- Notify your employer of that you have a work-related injury or illness
- Fill in the Medical Treatment Benefits Claims Form and ask your employer to certify the content
- Advise your doctor it is work-related injury or sickness, hand in the documents and have treatments
- The medical institution will complete the rest of procedures and you have no further action to do
Non-designated medical institution
- Notify your employer of that you have a work-related injury or illness
- Fill in the Medical Treatment Benefits Claims Form and ask your employer to certify the content
- Advise your doctor it is work-related injury or sickness and pay the medical expenses in full
- Get a payment receipt
- Attach the receipt to the claim form and submit all the documents at the nearest Labour Standards Inspection Office
- The medical expenses you have paid will be reimbursed once your application is approved by Labour Standards Inspection Office
Reminder
- As a general rule, Employee’s Health Insurance cannot be used to cover medical costs for treatments of work-related injury or illness. Make sure to let your doctor know that you have a work-related injury or sickness
- If you couldn’t prepare required documents at the time of first visit, ask your doctor or hospital staff what you should do. Some hospitals let you have medical treatments for free without a claim form if you can hand it in at a later date. In such a case, make sure to ask them the deadline to give them a claim form.
- You receive a payment from Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance only if Labour Standards Inspection Office approves that your case is a work-related accident.
- Even if your employer refused to certify your claim, you may file your claim with Employee’s Health Insurance without their declaration. In such a case, an assessment may take longer than usual. Therefore, you should ask your employer for to certify your document at least once.
- There is a deadline to make a claim with Employee’s Health Insurance. To receive Medical Compensation Benefit, you must file your claim within 2 years starting on the next day you made a payment for medical expenses, or the next day the amount of your medical costs were confirmed.
Is your injury work-related?
Many people misunderstand that they can use Employee’s Health Insurance for medical treatments of work-related injuries or sickness, and they actually to do so without knowing it is banned. But now you know you should use Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance if you get injured or sick while working. In fact, making a claim with Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance is easy. If you have a medical treatment at a designated hospital, you don’t even pay for it just by submitting a claim form. Even when you had a treatment at a non-designated clinic, you can receive a reimbursement by sending a payment receipt, doctor’s certificate and claim form.
Related Article:
Praised by the WHO! The Japanese National Health Insurance
Sick or injured? What if you need medical care before insurance card arrives?
To Do List when Leaving Japan – How to Quit National Health Insurance
National Health Insurance: Procedures to update residential address when moving house
Changing jobs? Switch to National Health Insurance or continue membership
If injured or get sick in Japan, choose your doctor yourself
What happens if you don’t pay your National Health Insurance tax?
National Health Insurance member? Your medical cost in overseas may be covered
Can’t afford National Health Insurance tax? Apply for mitigation or reduction of tax measures
Spring has come, pollen has come: Hay fever treatment in Japan
Insurance covers dental cares too! Going to the dentist in Japan
Covering work related injuries and illness: Workers’ accident compensation insurance
Off work due to injury? Injury and sickness allowance of Employee’s Health Insurance
Workers’ Accident Compensation Insurance: Lost Wage Benefit
