And Some Cases in Some States in the U. S.
Preface
The medical care system (health care) effects every Japanese ;
public or private, full-time or part-time,
employers or employees, old or young, employed or not, everyone
must joint in a "Mutual-aid organization,
ruled by the national law and the organization is for a Japanese
only one at any time.
Local public servants, including public school teachers, have their
own organizations and all public
school teachers organize "The Japan Mutual Aid Association
of Public School Teachers".
This Association provides the members their medical care expenses and also pensions. I will describe
the medical care system, and then about the pensions.
Ⅰ The Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers
１ Resources(Revenue) of Health Care......... Approximately half is paid by the members and half by
the Prefectural Governments, in accordance to the law.
(Note) The allotment above shall not be paid by the local districts, but shall
be paid only by the Prefectural Governments, for they pay the sararies of public school
teachers. ( See, the article, 71. Average Salaries of Public School Teachers in Japan.
).
２ Percentage of a Teachers Salary
45.45/1000 4.545 % of monthly salary
(Note) The average salary of public school teachers is about 400,000 Yen, so that's about 18, 180 Yen
a month. ( 151 dollars U.S.)
３ Benefits for a teacher
○ Medica care expenses....... including meal expensese, if hospitalized, receiving visiting nurses,
family
medical care expenses, transportation fees and illness related causes others .
○ Temporay Layoff Supply... at the time of temporary lay-off due to some illnesses
○ Disaster Supply......................on fire or some disasters.
○ Some special cases Supply
４ Number of the members........ 1,178,224 ( In 2001) The members, not only public school
teachers, but also staff of school boards, administrators and so forth.
○ Revenue and Expenditure(2000) : The Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School
Teachers
a: Allotment by the Prefectural Governments b:
Fees by the members c: Interest
d: Carry-over money from the previous year
e: Loss funds
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
f: Regular funds for medical care g: Additional funds
h: Allotment for elderly persons i Allotment for retirees funds j:
Carry-over money to the following year
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................
Ⅱ Extra Mutual Aid Organizations in Prefectures
Most of Public School Teachers will organize their own health care organizations in their
prefectures to supplement to their high medical expenses in every prefectures and will pay the fees
every months.
The percentage is about 1% of their salaries.
For instance, in Okayam Prefecture, they have the Okayama Mutura
Aid Association and is
about 20,000. and the fees are 0.8 % of their monthly salaries.
And if they want to get the same benefits after the retirement,
they have to pay 0.5 % of their salaries more.
Ⅲ After retirement of Public School Teachers
After retirement, Public School Teachers have to join the National Health Insurance Organization
controlled by the National Government as citizens and the fees are a little lower than in the past,
but the medical expenses are a little higher than in the past. As I decribed above, most public school
teachers also will organize their own associations in the prefectures
and pay the extra fees to their
organizations while they are working as the regular members. The organizations will submit supplemental
expenses of their medicare care after retirement.
After 70 years old., the fees paid to the National Health Insurance Organization
will be cheaper
than before and than sysmatically much cheaper after 75 in Japan.
Ⅲ Pensions for Retired Public School Teachers
Retired Public School Teachers get pensions from the Japan Mutual
Aid Association of Public School
Teachers every two months from retirement to their death. The
sums are about 1/3 of their
last salaries, but according to their number of years worked, much diffrent.
For their pensions, they have to pay fees when they are regular
members of the Association and the
percentage is 103.5/1000, 10.35 % of their salaries.
For an average public school teacher, the salary is 400.000 Yen
monthly, so the fee is 40,350 Yen
( 336 U.S. dollars), and the same account of money will be payed by the Prefectural Governments.
It's also ruled by the National Law.
Ⅳ Comment
The health care insurance system of public school teachers is not
much of problem at present and
couldn't be in the future except for very expensive medical expenses
in Japan. As for the pensions,
it will be more of problem in the future, because the retired members will continue aging. On the
otherhand, the number of regular teachers decreasing year by year.
Comparison: Some Cases in Some States in the U. S.
I will describe some cases of health care insurance of public school
teachers in the U.S. from an
article about it in The Sacramento Bee (Calif) (1/9) and will expect for you to cmpare it with
Japan's. system.
From the article,
○ The three largest school districts in the Sacramento region are considering teaming up to buy
health-care insurance for their employees. The idea of an alliance
among Elk. Grove, Sacramento
City and San Juan unified school districts is in its early stages,
but the goal is real. The three hope
that by combining their 15,000 eligible employees and operating
budgets of more than 1 billion dollars
they can contain health-care costs that collectively total 100
million dollars a year.
○ "Health care is the sleeping giant of cost increase. It's
going out of control" said David Gordon,
superintendent of the Elk Grove Unified School District. The
district's efforts come as state educators
struggle under the worst economic conditions in decades.
○ "More heads are better than one about something," said
General Davie Jr., superintendent of San
Juan Unified.
○ The study also must confront the different health plans offered
by the districts to their workers.
All employees can pick from the same menu of health maintenance
organizations.
○ Another combined system in northeast Pennsylvania, was formed in 1999. Thirteen districts are
membering of a purchasing trust that cover 8,500 employees and
their dependents.
What about the situations in your state or your district ?
Feb. 4. 2003, described