After you leave your employer

After leaving your employer, you will lose your eligibility for membership in the Health Insurance Association and must join the appropriate medical care insurance program based on your individual circumstances.

Description

Procedures

FAQ

Return any cards and certificates when you leave your employer
Becoming a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person
Joining the Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System
Withdrawing from the Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person/Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System

Return any cards and certificates when you leave your employer

Follow your employer's instructions concerning return of your health insurance card.

If you plan to join National Health Insurance, you will need a Certificate of Loss of Eligibility for Health Insurance issued by the Health Insurance Association. Attach a note indicating that you request issue of a Certificate of Loss of Eligibility for Health Insurance to your health insurance card when you return it.

Required documents	Health insurance cards (for the insured person and all dependents, until December 1, 2025)
Required documents	Elderly benefits card, Eligibility Verification Certificate, etc. (if issued) Note indicating that you request issue of a Certificate of Loss of Eligibility for Health Insurance (if you plan to join National Health Insurance)
Applies to	Insured persons leaving employment and their dependents
Submit to	Please check here.

New health insurance cards for persons who remain members of the IBM Japan Health Insurance Association

If you will remain a member of the Health Insurance Association by becoming a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person or joining the Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System, it may take some time until your new health insurance card arrives.
Use either of the methods below in such cases.
Note that you cannot use your existing health insurance card after you leave employment.

Inform the reception counter at the medical care institution that you are in the process of switching your health insurance card.
Some medical care institutions will let you show your new health insurance card at a later date for ordinary insurance processing.
If the institution will not provide the above handling, use the method below.
Pay the entire amount up front and then request payment of the health insurance portion (70%*) from the Health Insurance Association at a later date.
*If your copayment is 30%
In this case, obtain a receipt (original) and medical cost details (original) from the medical care institution.
Apply using the Application Form for Medical Care Expenses

Becoming a Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person

Required documents	Application Form for Certification as Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person
Deadline	Within 20 days after the date of loss of eligibility of the insured person (you also may apply in advance)
Applies to	Insured persons who have been insured continuously for at least two months prior to leaving employment
Submit to	〒103-0015 10F, Daiwa River Gate South Wing, 36-2, Nihonbashi, Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo IBM Japan Health Insurance Association
Notes	Your health insurance card will be mailed to your home address after you leave employment (forfeit eligibility).

Joining the Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System

None of the submitted documents should include any "My Numbers" (if included, remove before submission).

Required documents	Application Form for Eligibility as a Special-Case Retired Insured Person
Required documents	Attachments required: Certificate of residence (photocopies not acceptable): for insured person and dependents (must show relationship) National pension/employee's pension certificate (submit a photocopy after receiving this certificate) A copy of your Certificate of Loss of Eligibility for Health Insurance (if a member of an insurance plan other than the IBM Japan Health Insurance Association) Note: Not required from members of National Health Insurance Photocopy of National Health Insurance card (if a member of National Health Insurance) A copy of your Social Security and Tax Number card If applying for a dependent, the documents shown on Adding a family member If you will continue to be a member of the IBM Japan Health Insurance Association, submit only the documents under 1 and 2 above.
Deadline	At the earliest possible date after you are eligible to join. If you wish to apply in advance, you may do so starting two weeks prior to your date of eligibility.
Applies to	Persons qualified to receive old-age (retirement) pension or aggregate old-age (retirement) pension benefits and who meet either of the descriptions below. Have been insured persons under the IBM Japan Health Insurance Association for at least 20 years Have been insured persons under the IBM Japan Health Insurance Association for at least 10 years since the month of their 40th birthday Details of who is eligible to receive old-age (retirement) employee’s pension benefits
Submit to	〒103-0015 10F, Daiwa River Gate South Wing, 36-2, Nihonbashi, Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo IBM Japan Health Insurance Association
Notes	Your health insurance card will be mailed to your home address.

Reference link

Medical Care System for Retired Persons

Withdrawing from the Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Person/Special-Case Retired Persons Medical Care System

Required documents	Premium Refund Request/Forfeiture Notice for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons and Special-Case Retired Insured Persons
Deadline	At the earliest possible date
Applies to	When you have become an insured person under another health insurance plan due to new employment Upon your death When your residence changes to an overseas address (cancellation of your certificate of residence in Japan) (applies only to Special-Case Retired Persons) When you have applied for withdrawal for reasons other than the above (loss of eligibility on the first day of the month after the month in which the Health Insurance Association receives the Forfeiture Notice for Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons and Special-Case Retired Insured Persons)
Submit to	〒103-0015 10F, Daiwa River Gate South Wing, 36-2, Nihonbashi, Hakozaki-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo IBM Japan Health Insurance Association
Notes	The Health Insurance Association will provide advance notice to persons in the following cases: Those whose periods as insured persons are approaching two years (applies only to Voluntarily and Continuously Insured Persons) Those eligible for the Medical Care System for the Advanced Elderly Contact the Health Insurance Association if you were unable to pay your health insurance premiums by the due date.