The Japan Health Insurance Association (Association Kenpo) reviews insurance premiums annually in March (to be applied from salaries paid in April). This article reviews premium rates for fiscal 2026 and the new item added from April 2026 (wages paid in May).
[1] Health insurance and long-term care insurance premium rates
The Association Kenpo sets the health insurance premium rate by prefecture. The rates for FY2026 have been lowered or kept unchanged from last year in all prefectures.
Meanwhile, the long-term care insurance premium rate is renewed annually to balance single-year revenue and expenditure. The rate from March 2026 has been raised from 1.59% to 1.62%.
[2] Child and Childcare Support Contribution
Starting from April 2026 (from premiums paid in May), the Child and Childcare Support Contribution will be deducted from salaries. The amount is calculated by multiplying the standard monthly remuneration by the monthly contribution rate. The monthly contribution rate for FY2026 is 0.23%.
The Child and Childcare Support Contribution is also deducted from bonuses. The amount is calculated by multiplying the standard bonus amount, set under the health insurance system, by the monthly contribution rate.
Changes in the health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums must be reflected from salaries paid in April, while the deduction of Child and Childcare Support Contribution starts from May. Since companies need to apply the changes for two months in a row, please process carefully and make sure deductions are calculated correctly.
