Thursday, August 28, 2003



The other day a group of us were sitting around the pub table and talking about our health insurance. Not your everyday topic when sitting in Canada but once you start traveling this becomes an important subject. In Japan basically all companies pay for your health insurance. There are different levels of it of course, some much better than others. Li gets a basic coverage from his job. He used to be covered twice - his job and his school. Yes the school also covers your insurance here.

Kim has an interesting insurance that works really well all over the world and at home (Oregon). Dan has his medical that his school pays here and it seems to be the basic coverage. Because he is from England, he has full coverage when he goes home no problem.
I pay a lot every month for my insurance but I have only used it once when I sliced my finger open on my window lock. A slight case of stupidity on my part. I got vaccinations once but this was not covered.

Because of our pub conversation, I decided to finally ask my boss what I was actually paying for. My insurance is actually a Sumitomo company and it is a pretty huge company. My house/renters insurance is a Sumitomo/Mitsui joint insurance. They phoned head office for me but there is nothing offered in English. OF COURSE!! AUGH!
But my dear student racked his brain and attempted to explain my questions.
From what I can tell I have a basic 70% to 80% coverage for doctor and teeth. This sounds good to me but I honestly dont know. I have nothing to really compare it to.
And to make me happy, most of my doctors appointment in Canada will also be covered. I dont pay for BC medical anymore but there are certain things that my long time doctor at home is allowed to do that I wont allow a doctor here to do. It looks like I need to get a full receipt as well as a full detail of medical work done, and if this all fits into the criteria, which I think it will, I will get back 70%. This is cool.
There are obvious things like excessive zits and a nose job that are not covered but it looks okish from my basic understanding. So does my nose. (hehehe, Meister family joke)
Again I dont really have anything to compare it to as I have never really thought about this stuff before but I feel a little more covered and safer about life.
......
I just got an email from my student and if I get my teeth cleaned in Canada it is also covered. Hmmmm...

I just had an English class with one of my high level students. I asked him to read the papers about the insurance that I have in Japanese. He has a funny feeling that a basic medical check up is not covered overseas but he is not sure. Because I am female, last I checked anyway, and the check up that I require involves a cold set of damn stirrups (yuck), I think that it will be covered. Hey, if I can get money back you can be damn sure I am going to try. I pay a lot for my insurance each month so I would like to use it if I can!!

I have also discovered that I am addicted to Ian Rankin.
He is a writer by the way.
He is actually from Scotland and writes some wonderful police series novels staring a cop called John Rebus. I love them. I have almost the entire collection now. I have discovered the beauty of Amazon Japan. No shipping charges. The problem is that I have almost finished the entire series and am worried about life after Rebus. Either I read the entire collection again, which I will do anyway, or I find another writer that I enjoy just as much.
I love police stories. I was addicted to Robert Ludlum for a while. I read every one of those, then I was lost and didn't read very much after that.
I am reading Lord of the Rings as well, which I am enjoying.
I basically read two novels at the same time. One for work and one for home. I try to make sure they are unrelated in anyway. Rankin is for work. Makes the day go by faster. I read when ever I have a break of one to ten minutes.
I need things like CSI in book form. I would love (spelling????) DaVincie's Inquest to be in a book form. I would also love it in video but I haven't been able to find it. Hmmmmm...

Anyway,
I have a canceled class because of a business trip so I am going to read some more of Rankin.
Heheheh



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Posted by (Top)Andrea::8/28/2003 :: 0 Comments:

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