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Long-term Care Insurance(介護保険)

Last updated date:2023/3/1

About Long-Term Care Insurance

If you require long-term care in your daily life, you can undergo a care-needs assessment and make use of Long-Term Care Insurance services.
With the exception of the portion you will be liable to pay under the co-payment system, the costs required for these services are covered by insurance and taxes.
Registered residents of Yokohama City to whom any of the following apply are eligible for coverage under this insurance scheme.
1. Those aged 65 years and above (persons insured in the first category of insurance scheme)
2. Those from the age of 40 to 64 years who are enrolled in a medical insurance scheme (National Health Insurance, employee insurance, etc.) (persons insured in the second category of insurance scheme)

Care-needs assessment

If you wish to make use of Long-Term Care Insurance services, you need to undergo a care- and assistance-needs assessment. The procedures are as follows.

1. Application

Apply for a care-needs assessment at the Elderly and Disabled Support Division of your ward office. You can also have a local comprehensive long-term care support center, in-home long-term care support provider, etc. apply on your behalf.

Things you need

'- Care- and Assistance-needs Assessment Application Form (available at the counter)
'- Long-Term Care Insurance Card (issued upon reaching the age of 65 years)
'- Something identifying the name of the medical institution which you attend regularly, name of your doctor, etc.

*If you are insured in the second category of an insurance scheme (those from the age of 40 to 64 years who are enrolled in a medical insurance scheme), please bring your medical insurance card (photocopy is acceptable).

2. Assessment of mental and physical health

Home-visit assessment

An assessor will visit your home etc. to carry out a interview-based assessment with the individual concerned and family members.

Written opinion from your family doctor

A request for a written opinion will be sent to the family doctor that you mentioned on your application form. *Please mention at the counter if you do not have a family doctor.

3. Review and decision

A committee for certification of need will carry out a review of your case based on the findings of the assessment and written opinion of family doctor, and will make a decision as to the degree of care that is required.
*A simple review and decision is conducted for those cases which meet certain criteria.

4. Results of assessment and issuance of Long-Term Care Insurance Card

Things to confirm

Classification of care-needs assessment (requiring assistance levels 1/2 or requiring care levels 1-5) or "not applicable
Period of validity of assessment, etc. (3 - 12 months for new applications and applications for a change of classification, 3 - 48 months for renewal applications)

Types of Long-Term Care Insurance services

The following types of Long-Term Care Insurance services are available.

The following types of Long-Term Care Insurance services are available.
Services available in the home Home visit long-term care, night-time home visit long-term care, home-visit bathing long-term care, home visit nursing, home visit rehabilitation, guidance for management of in-home medical care
Services available as an outpatient or an inpatient Outpatient long-term care, community-based outpatient long-term care, outpatient long-term care for dementia patients, outpatient rehabilitation, short-term admission for daily life long-term care, short-term admission for recuperation
Services that are available 24 hours a day Regular home visit/as-need home visit-type long-term care and nursing, multifunctional long-term care in a small group home, multifunctional long-term care in a small group home with nursing care
Services to help improve people's living environments Lending out of welfare equipment, sales of specified welfare equipment, home modifications
Residential-type services Group home with care for people with dementia, daily life care for those admitted to a specified facility, community-based daily life care for those admitted to a specified facility
Facility-type services

Long-term care facility for the elderly, community-based daily life care for those admitted to a long-term care facility for the elderly, long-term care health facility for the elderly, medical long-term care sanatorium, long-term care hospital


Note: In principle, only citizens of Yokohama City (those who are covered by the City's Long-term Care Insurance scheme) are eligible to use community-based services

Insurance premium

Calculation of insurance premium

Your insurance premium will be calculated based on the expected costs of the Long-term Care Insurance services you will need over a period of 3 years (FY 2021 - 2023),

Payment of insurance premium

Your insurance premium will be deducted from your pension. Alternatively, you can pay via bank transfer, etc.

If you are unable to keep up with payments

If you are having trouble paying your insurance premium because of a disaster, loss of work, bankruptcy, or other circumstances, you may be able to receive a reduction or exemption. Please consult with your ward's Health Insurance and Pension Division.

If you fail to pay your insurance premium

When you use Long-term Care Insurance services, you may have to pay the full amount or your co-payment ratio may be raised to 30% or 40%. In addition, legal action may be taken to seize your assets to recover the amount owed.

Amount you will pay under the co-payment system

In principle, you will be liable to pay 10% of the costs incurred of using Long-term Care Insurance services (20% or 30% if your income is over a certain level). You may also have to pay meal or room charges depending on the type of service you are using

Approval of the maximum amount to be borne by Long-Term Care Insurance

Those who meet certain criteria in terms of income and assets are eligible for reduced meal and room charges when they are admitted to a facility under Long-Term Care Insurance or use such a facility for a short stay.

Subsidy to help cover the cost of co-payments when using Long-term Care Insurance services

If you meet certain criteria in terms of income requirements, etc., you can receive a reduction on the amount you pay when using home-based services, group homes or special nursing homes for the elderly with unit-type individual rooms, etc.

Reduction of cost to be borne by users through social welfare corporations

If you meet certain criteria in terms of income requirements, etc., you can receive a reduction on the amount you pay when using special nursing homes for the elderly, home visit long-term care, outpatient long-term care, short-term admission for daily life long-term care, etc. provided by social welfare corporations.

Long-Term Care Insurance Information Pamphlet (multilingual version)

Where to inquire
Content Contact details
About the Long-Term Care Insurance scheme in general Long-term Care Insurance Division, Health and Social Welfare Bureau (*Inquiries in Japanese only)
Tel: 045-671-4252
Fax: 045-550-3614
Email: kf-kaigohoken@city.yokohama.jp
About the use of Long-term Care Insurance services (except facility-type services) Nursing Care Services Guidance Division, Health and Social Welfare Bureau (*Inquiries in Japanese only)
Tel: 045-671-2356
Fax: 045-550-3615
Email: kf-jigyoshido@city.yokohama.jp
About the use of Long-term Care Insurance services (facility-type services) Senior Citizen Facilities Division, Health and Social Welfare Bureau (*Inquiries in Japanese only)
Tel: 045-671-3923
Fax: 045-641-6408
Email: kf-shisetsu@city.yokohama.jp

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