When a parent's monthly co-payments cross an income-based ceiling, the excess comes back, sometimes automatically and sometimes only if you apply. The catch is the application: families abroad leave money unclaimed because no one filed. Ask the municipality whether the parent's refund is automatic or needs a form, and check the first time costs run high. Watching this ceiling keeps a heavy-care month from spiraling.
Read more: The high-cost care refund
Related terms
- 自己負担（jiko futan）— co-payment
- 限度額適用認定証（gendogaku nintei-shou）— limit application certificate
- 差額ベッド代（sagaku bed dai）— private room charge
Where to go next
This word will come back at the home assessment or in the first care plan. The full Japanese elder care glossary holds 52 terms, and the long-term care insurance guide shows where each one sits in the process.
If you would rather someone handled the Japanese side, our care navigation service does that, and the first consultation is 30 minutes and free. Definitions here are general orientation and rules vary by municipality; see our editorial policy or contact us with your situation.