The insurers providing insurance (excluding insurance for specially-insured day laborers) are Japan Health Insurance Association and health insurance societies.

①Japan Health Insurance Association administers insurance for insured persons who are not members of a health insurance society (excluding specially-insured day laborers; the same applies hereinafter in the main provisions except for the following Section, Article 51-2, Article 63, paragraph (3), item (ii), Article 150, paragraph (1), Article 172, item (iii), and Chapters X and XI).

②Of the services relating to health insurance businesses provided by Japan Health Insurance Association pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the confirmation of acquisition and loss of eligibility to be insured, determination of standard monthly remuneration and standard bonus amount, collection of insurance premiums (excluding those from insured persons with optional and continued coverage), and operations incidental to these are conducted by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

A health insurance society administers insurance of the insured persons who are its members.

Persons who administers insurance for insured persons who are employed at two or more places of business at the same time are specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1) and the preceding Article.

①In order to provide health insurance services to insured persons who are not members of a health insurance society (hereinafter simply referred to as "insured persons"), Japan Health Insurance Association (hereinafter referred to as "JHIA") is established.

②JHIA provides the services listed below:

③Beyond the operations listed in the items of the preceding paragraph, JHIA is responsible for operations related to Mariners Insurance business pursuant to the provisions of the Mariners Insurance Act (excluding those conducted by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare pursuant to the provisions of the same Act), and operations related to the payment of young-old payments, etc. pursuant to the provisions of the Act on Assurance of Medical Care for Elderly People (hereinafter referred to as "young-old payments, etc."), aid for the old-old, contributions for administrative expenses related to the old-old, and contributions for administrative expenses related to childbirth and childcare pursuant to the provisions of the same Act (hereinafter referred to as "aid for the old-old, etc."), the payment pursuant to the provisions of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act (Act No. 123 of 1997) (hereinafter referred to as "long-term care payment"), contribution for securing medical care in the early phase of an epidemic, etc. pursuant to the provisions of the Act on the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases (Act No. 114 of 1998) (hereinafter referred to as "contribution for securing medical care in the early phase of an epidemic, etc."), and the children and child-rearing support levy pursuant to the provisions of the Act on Support for Children and Child-rearing (Act No. 65 of 2012) (hereinafter referred to as "children and child-rearing support levy").

When conducting the operations listed in paragraph (2), item (ii) of the preceding Article (limited to those related to healthcare services pursuant to the provisions of Chapter VI; referred to as "health services operations" in Article 7-29-2), JHIA must conduct them appropriately and effectively, taking into consideration the age, sex, state of health, and other circumstances of insured persons and their dependents.

JHIA is a corporation.

①JHIA establishes a principal office in Tokyo and secondary offices (hereinafter referred to as "branches") in each prefecture.

②JHIA's address is the location of its principal office.

The stated capital of JHIA is the amount contributed by the government pursuant to the provisions of Article 18, paragraph (2) of the Supplementary Provisions of the Act Partially Amending the Health Insurance Act, etc. (Act No. 83 of 2006; hereinafter referred to as "Amending Act").

①JHIA must specify the particulars listed below in its articles of incorporation:

②No alternation to the articles of incorporation referred to in the preceding paragraph (except those pertaining to matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) is effected without authorization by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

③When JHIA makes any amendment to the articles of incorporation with regard to matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare referred to in the preceding paragraph, it must notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of the amendment without delay.

④When JHIA is authorized for an amendment to the articles of incorporation referred to in paragraph (2) or makes any amendment to the articles of incorporation with regard to matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare referred to in the same paragraph, it must give publicly notice of the amendment without delay.

①JHIA must complete its registration as specified by Cabinet Order.

②The matters that must be registered pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph cannot be asserted against a third party until after they are registered.

No person other than JHIA may use the name "Japan Health Insurance Association".

JHIA has one president, not more than six directors, and two auditors as its officers.

①The president of JHIA represents JHIA and executes its operations.

②If the president is incapacitated or the position of president is vacant, another director appointed by the president in advance represents the president or performs the president's duties.

③The directors may assist the president in executing the operations of JHIA as determined by the president.

④An auditor audits the execution of business and the financial status of JHIA.

①The president and auditors are appointed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

②The Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, when intending to appoint the president pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, must hear the opinions of the Management Board in advance as provided for by Article 7-18, paragraph (1).

③The directors are appointed by the president.

④When the president appoints a director pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the president must notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of the appointment and publicize it without delay.

①The term of office for an officer is three years; however, the term for a substitute officer is the remaining term of the predecessor.

②An officer may be reappointed.

A government official or an official of a local public entity (excluding a part-time official) is ineligible to be an officer.

①When an officer appointed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or the president becomes a person who is ineligible to be an officer pursuant to the provisions of the preceding Article, the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or the president, respectively, must dismiss the officer.

②If an officer appointed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare or the president falls under any of the following items or is otherwise found to be unfit to serve as an officer, the minister or the president, respectively, may dismiss the officer:

③If the president dismisses a director pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the president must notify the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of the dismissal and publicize it without delay.

An officer (excluding a part-time officer) must not serve as an officer of an organization for profit or engage in a business for profit independently; however, this does not apply if the officer obtains approval from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Regarding any matter in which the president or the director has a conflict of interest with the JHIA, the president or the director have no authority of representation. In this case, an auditor represents JHIA.

The president may appoint an agent from among the directors or employees and authorize the agent to conduct all judicial or extra-judicial acts concerning a part of the operations of JHIA.

①In order to reflect opinions of employers (meaning employers of an applicable place of business at which insured persons are employed; the same applies hereinafter in this section) and insured persons, and to ensure that JHIA's operations are appropriate, JHIA has a management board.

②The management board has nine or less members who are appointed by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare from among employers, insured persons, and persons with relevant knowledge and experience for properly operating JHIA.

③The term of the members in the preceding paragraph is two years.

④The proviso to Article 7-12, paragraph (1) and the provisions of paragraph (2) of the same Article apply mutatis mutandis to members of the management board.

①With regard to the particulars listed below, the president must obtain a resolution at the management board in advance:

②Beyond the matters prescribed in the preceding paragraph, the management board may consult with the president and make proposals to the president when it finds it necessary.

③Beyond the matters covered by the preceding two paragraphs, other matters relating to the organization and operation of the management board are specified by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

A member of the management board is deemed to be an official engaged in public service under acts and regulations, with respect to the application of the Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907) and other penal provisions.