Health Check
Transcript
Hello. Thank you for joining me for this video. In this video, I will talk about the Health Check requirements for companies operating in Japan.
After the second World War, Tuberculosis was wide-spread in Japan. In order to detect the disease and prevent its spread, the government required companies to make their employees have health checks. This requirement continues to the present day.
There are three parts to the health check (0:47)
1. Health check itself
It is a legal requirement that companies have their employees take an annual health check.
2. Follow up
Companies must store the employees' health check results for 5 years.
If they have 50 or more employees, they must also submit a report to the Labor Standards Office.
3. Cost
The cost of the health check must be paid by the company. However the company's health insurance provider may cover some or all of the cost.
Let's look at the points in more detail.
First, the health check itself (1:31)
By law, companies are required, to have employees take a health check before joining, and annually thereafter.
There are nine mandatory tests to the health check:
1. Physical measurements
2. Vision test
3. Hearing test
4. Chest x-ray
5. Sputum test
6. Blood pressure
7. Blood test
8. Urinalysis
9. Electrocardiogram
Additional tests can be taken.
It is common to add a stomach examination, to detect stomach cancer, and a stool test, to detect colorectal cancer, as these are the top 2 cancers in Japan.
At HTM we include these tests, along with four other tests for both men and women, and two additional tests for women. We also offer the same tests to our employees' dependent spouses.
It is common for companies to choose a clinic which is contracted with their health insurance provider. At HTM, we have a corporate contract with a clinic that has 6 locations in Tokyo, making it convenient for our employees.
Once the health check is done, there are follow up requirements (2:56)
There are three reports related to health check results.
Reports one and two are provided by the clinic. The first report is a detailed report for the employees.
The second report is a summary report for the company showing the results of the nine mandatory tests. This report must be kept by the company for 5 years.
For companies with more than 50 employees, a third report must be submitted to the labor standards office annually. The report shows the number of employees who have taken the health check and the number of employees whose results have abnormal findings. The report does not show an individual employee's information, only the totals. It must be signed by the company's outside physician, but can be prepared by the company.
Once the results are sent to the company, either the clinic or the company's outside physician reviews the health check results and recommends what follow-up is required. Based on the recommendation, the company takes measures and provides guidance to employees.
Finally, the cost (4:18)
The cost for the mandatory tests must be paid by the company. While not required, companies often pay for the additional tests as well.
The nine mandatory tests cost approximately 8,000 - 13,000 yen in Tokyo depending on the clinic. Costs may be lower in other parts of Japan. The company's health insurance provider may cover some or all of the amount.
Conclusion (4:52)
Japan has an excellent health care system with a strong focus on preventative care. The annual health check is an important part of this system.
Setting up and administering a system that is compliant with the health check requirements is a service HTM provides to our clients. If you are interested in finding more about the Health Check, or the services we provide, please contact us by phone or email. Thank you.
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