How does the long-term care insurance system work? How can one receive long-term care services?

Long-term care insurance policyholders are divided into "Category 2 insured persons," who are between 40 and 64 years old, and "Category 1 insured persons," who are 65 years old or older.

In Japan, when you turn 40, you are obligated to enroll in "long-term care insurance" in addition to health insurance, and you will pay premiums until you are 64. The amount of the premium is determined individually by each health insurance society, and policyholders continue to pay for "long-term care insurance" even after they turn 65. In this case, the premiums are collected by the municipality through deductions from their pension.

Premiums differ by municipality, and even if you become a "Category 1 insured person" at age 65 or older, the obligation to pay long-term care premiums continues, but at the same time, you become eligible to receive services.

Those who are eligible are individuals who have been certified as needing long-term care due to illnesses caused by aging, as well as individuals between 40 and 65 years old who are certified as needing long-term care due to difficulties in daily life caused by one of 16 specified diseases. Long-term care insurance certificates are issued by the municipality in the month of your 65th birthday, but you cannot use long-term care services with just the certificate.

To use long-term care insurance services, long-term care certification is required. Once you are "certified as needing long-term care" after the application process, you will be able to receive various services under long-term care insurance. Therefore, if you require long-term care services, we recommend inquiring with your local community or municipality.