👨‍👩‍👧 Kenpo FY2026 Dependent Status Recheck

❓ What is happening?

The Japan Health Insurance Association (Kyokai Kenpo) has launched its FY2026 round of dependent status rechecks, an annual review carried out under Article 50 of the Health Insurance Act Enforcement Regulations. From late October to mid-November 2026, employers receive a "Dependent Status List" by post, and the completed list must be returned by Friday, December 11, 2026. What stands out this year is that the review no longer covers every dependent: it is narrowed to people most likely to lose dependent status. Three groups are targeted — (1) those likely to hold overlapping health insurance coverage, (2) those in a family relationship that requires living together but who appear to live apart from the insured person, and (3) those whose taxable income during 2025 was likely 1.3 million yen or more (1.8 million yen if aged 60 or over; 1.5 million yen if aged 19 to 22 and not the spouse), excluding anyone under 18 as of April 1, 2026. Workplaces with no targeted dependents receive no list, so if nothing arrives, you are not part of this round. On income, a dependent living with the insured must earn under 1.3 million yen and less than half the insured person's income; a dependent living apart must earn under 1.3 million yen and less than the financial support received. If income rose only temporarily because of extended working hours caused by staff shortages, an employer certificate keeps the dependent status — but this exception applies at most twice in a row, and a third consecutive year requires removal.

👥 Who is affected?

• ●Kenpo-insured employees who have a spouse, child, parent, or other relative registered as a health insurance dependent
• ●Dependents who appear to hold overlapping coverage under another health insurance plan
• ●Dependents in a relationship that requires living together (such as a spouse's parents or siblings) but who appear to live apart from the insured person
• ●Dependents whose 2025 taxable income was likely 1.3 million yen or more (1.8 million if aged 60+, 1.5 million if aged 19–22 and not the spouse)
• ●Employers who receive the Dependent Status List and must check with employees and reply

🌏 Impact on foreign residents

Many foreign residents enrolled in Kenpo have registered a spouse, a child, or a parent back home as a dependent. If a name appears on the list, the employer will ask — in Japanese — whether the dependent lives with you, how much they earn, and whether they joined another health insurance plan. Having a taxation certificate, pay slips, and remittance records ready makes the check much faster. Two situations deserve special attention: a spouse or parent who returned to their home country and no longer lives in Japan, and a child who started working and joined their own employer's health insurance. If no notification was filed, this review will trigger a removal procedure, and you may be asked to settle medical costs incurred while the person was no longer eligible. On the other hand, if part-time income temporarily exceeded 1.3 million yen because of staff shortages, an employer certificate lets the dependent status continue. Once a dependent is removed, the family member must enroll in National Health Insurance or another plan and pay separate premiums, so it is worth budgeting for that in advance.