Supporting a Gigantic Social Insurance Organization
Social Insurance Agency is positioned as external office of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and is responsible for actual operation of national pension, employees' pension insurance, government-managed health insurance and seamen's insurance.
National Organization to Operate the Social Insurance System
Social Insurance Agency is operating pension business of national pension and employees' pension, and health insurance business of government-managed health insurance and seamen's health insurance. For these operations Social Insurance Agency processes a massive volume of administrative jobs throughout Japan including the management of insured records, premium collection, confirmation of pension benefit claim, payment, consultation on pension, etc. As additional facilities to the agency, Social Insurance Operation Center and Social Insurance College are facilitated, and Regional Social Insurance Bureau is placed in each prefecture as regional office and 265 social insurance offices are placed as their branches throughout Japan. Currently approximately 17,000 employees are involved in the social insurance operation work.
Fast and Accurate Online System
As represented in the phrase, "Universal Insurance" and "Universal Pension", social insurance is a gigantic system widely covering the citizens, and the volume of the operation job is also huge. In order to process the massive work of pension and insurance, "Social Insurance Online System" with large computers is used to connect the Social Insurance Operation Center in Tokyo and social insurance offices throughout Japan through a designated data communication line. Because of this system, it is now possible to process various forms and reports received at a social insurance office instantly, to immediately respond the inquiries from an insured, and to greatly reduce the time required for confirming pension claims.
Nationwide Operation of Health and Welfare Facilities
Social Insurance Agency operates health and welfare facilities to improve welfare by returing some financial resources of national pension, health insurance, etc. to the insured, and also conducts health management projects such as examinations for preventing life-style related diseases.