In a bid to bolster its workforce and foster a welcoming environment for Vietnamese laborers, Japan’s Yamanashi prefecture has unveiled plans to inaugurate a new health insurance scheme tailored for the families of Vietnamese guest workers in the region.
Reported by NHK World Japan television, the initiative is poised to kick off its application process come June.
On May 24, Yamanashi prefecture authorities conducted an online question-and-answer session elucidating the intricacies of the impending insurance policy. Over 20 companies employing Vietnamese individuals in the prefecture participated in the informative session.
As per insights gleaned from a Vietnamese enterprise already availing the insurance service, under the new healthcare insurance structure, relatives of Vietnamese workers—such as parents or spouses—will bear only 10% of medical examination and treatment expenses.
A spokesperson representing the Yamanashi government articulated that for companies extending insurance benefits to their workforce, the prefecture will extend financial subsidies.
Yukiko Irikura, the head of the department overseeing gender equality and the facilitation of foreign activities within the prefecture, underscored the aspiration to cultivate an environment conducive to Vietnamese workers, alleviating any concerns they might harbor, thereby contributing to resolving the prevailing labor shortage.
