Long-term Care Insurance

Long-term care insurance can be used by those aged 40 or older that need long-term care. The insurance provides health, medical, and welfare services for those enrolled in it.

Contact
Physically Challenged Persons/Senior Citizens Insurance Division
(Gifu City Hall, 2F ／ Tel. 058-214-2089)

Those eligible

Those that have been living in Japan for three months or longer and who the following applies to.

Those aged 65 or older (category 1 insured persons)

Those determined to need long-term care or support can use services provided by the insurance.

Those enrolled in health insurance that are aged 40 or older but younger than age 65 (category 2 insured persons)

Those enrolled in health insurance that need care or support for a specified disease caused by aging

Disqualification

• The day after one stops being a citizen of Gifu City
• Those aged 40 or older but younger than 65 become disqualified the day they stop being enrolled in health insurance.

Long-term care insurance premiums

• Category 1 insured persons
  • There is a base cost determined by the Elderly Welfare Plan.
  • Base cost
    ¥6700/mo, however this varies depending on which of the 13 income brackets the insured person belongs to.
  • More details will be announced around mid-June.
• Category 2 insured persons
  This will be calculated based on how the premiums of the health insurance the individual is enrolled in are calculated.

Paying long-term care insurance premiums

　If you do not pay long-term care insurance premiums, the services available to you may be restricted.

• Category 1 insured persons
  (split into special collections and normal collections)
  • Special collections
    Deducted from public pension payments
  • Normal collections
    Those not using special collections can pay their premiums through payment slips and bank payments.
• Category 2 insured persons
  You will have to pay these premiums together with health insurance premiums.

Using long-term care insurance services

Those wishing to use long-term care insurance services need to first apply to become authorized to do so.

Approval application

• Where to apply
  At the Physically Challenged Persons/Senior Citizens Insurance Division or any Gifu City Hall branch office.
• Organizations allowed to submit applications on your behalf
  • Gifu City Regional Comprehensive Support Centers
  • Designated home care support providers
  • Long-term care insurance facilities

Approval

• How determined
  A committee of experts in medical care, health, and welfare will determine whether applicants will receive approval to use long-term care insurance services.
• Decision criteria
  • Staff will go to applicants' homes to determine their physical and mental state.
  • Asking the opinion of your primary care doctor
    (submitting a statement of your primary care doctor's opinion)
• Result stages
  • Ineligible　Ineligible to use long-term care insurance services
  • Requires level 1-2 support　Can use long-term care prevention services
  • Requires level 1-5 long-term care　Can use long-term care services

Period valid

• New/partial revision applications　Generally for 1 year
• Renewal application　3-4 years

User costs

Those using long-term care insurance services will be responsible for 10-30% of the services they use.
However, please be aware that there is a maximum limit to the amount that insurance will cover.

Main services available to those requiring level 1-5 long-term care

Home services

Long-term care home visits (home help services), including bathing, nursing, rehabilitation, etc.

Local services

• Periodic monitoring, on-demand long-term care/nursing
• Nighttime long-term care, etc.

Long-term care home remodeling

Fees for small-scale home remodeling, such as installing railings, getting rid of height differences, etc.

Long-term home care support

Creating long-term care plans
(at no expense to the user)　

Facility services

Elderly long-term care facilities (special nursing homes for those requiring level 3 long-term care or higher), elderly long-term care health facilities, elderly long-term care recuperation facilities, integrated facilities for medical and long-term care

Main services available to those requiring level 1-2 support

Long-term care prevention services

• Home visit bathing and nursing services
• Home visit rehabilition services, etc.

Long-term care prevention, general everyday support

Long-term care home visits, long-term care day services

Local long-term care prevention services

Long-term care prevention independence support services for those with dementia, small-scale living assistance, communal living for those with dementia (only for those needing level 2 support)

Long-term care prevention home remodeling

Fees for small-scale home remodeling such as installing railings, getting rid of height differences, etc.

Long-term care prevention support

Creating long-term care prevention service plans (long-term care prevention plan) (at no cost to the user）

Other services

Goods for low-income households with individuals requiring long-term care

Those that meet the following conditions can receive vouchers to be exchanged for paper diapers.

• Those determined to require level 3-5 long-term care and receiving it at home.
• Households where every member is not subject to pay municipal taxes.

Home remodeling promotion subsidy for the elderly

Those to whom all the following apply to are eligible to receive the subsidy.

• Those determined to require level 1-5 long-term care
• Those that have lived in Gifu City for one year or longer
• Households not subject to pay municipal taxes.
  However, please be aware that you can only receive up to ¥700,000.