About Care Needs Certification

People with Care Needs
Certification

People without Care Needs
Certification

People with Care Needs Certification

People with Care Needs Certification and a Care Level between two and five are eligible to use the Long-term Care Insurance System to rent a specialty bed from welfare equipment rental companies registered with the prefecture.

The actual cost of renting a bed typically ranges between 7,000 yen and 20,000 yen depending on the model, rental company, and prefecture. As shown in the chart on the right, personal expenses are only 10% of the actual cost of renting a bed, which means the user will pay between 700 yen and 2,000 yen.
* The 2015 Revision of the Long-term Care Insurance System requires certain people to pay 20% of the actual cost. Please ask you care manager for details.

People Certified as “Care Level 1” or “Support Required”

In general, people who fall under this category are not eligible to use the aforementioned Long-term Care Insurance System to rent a bed. There are certain exceptions, however, when deemed necessary by a doctor or welfare specialist. Please consult your care manager.
Although the individual will be required to pay the full cost of renting the bed, there are companies that rent beds at a low cost.

Benefits of Rental Beds

  1. Purchasing a care bed can cost several hundred thousand yen. Renting a bed may be an economic option.
  2. Beds, mattresses, and side rails can be exchanged according to changes of the user’s physical condition.
    (Welfare equipment that does not fit your physique can be a cause for accidents. If you feel that the equipment does not fit you, please consult the welfare equipment consultant at the rental company)
    For details please see National Welfare Equipment Consultation Council’s website.
  3. The bed can be returned if it is no longer needed because the user was hospitalized.
Notice!
  • Because the beds and mattresses are rented, they are not necessarily brand new.
  • Purchasing a care bed may be the more economic option compared to renting the bed for a very long time.

People without Care Needs Certification(People with a Low Care Level and are Ineligible to Rent)

Care beds can be purchased tax free if the user meets the following criteria:

When purchasing a tax-free care bed, the following can also be purchased tax-free:

  1. mattress (no more than one)
  2. side rails (no more than two)
Notice!
  • If you purchase the mattress and rails after you purchased the tax free care bed, the mattress and rails will not be tax free. Please purchase all three at the same time.
  • Please be aware that if you purchase a caster, which is not tax free, at the same time as the tax free bed, mattress, and side rails, all items will be taxed.
  • The bed grip, tables, and other related items are not tax free, even if purchased at the same time as the tax free bed.

Requirements for a Tax Free Bed

  1. The width of the bed and outer panels around the bed is less than 100cm.
  2. The bed comes with side rails or has the option to add side rails.
  3. The bed does not have casters on it.

In accordance with provision 4 of article 14 of the consumption tax law (cabinet order 360 of 1988), regarding the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s designation of items and repairs of items for physically handicapped persons (last revised: April 30th, 2008 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare notification 300)

People with Terminal Cancer

On October 25th, 2010 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare delegated “management of renting welfare equipment to people with terminal cancer” to the insurance division of each municipality in each of the prefectures to “evaluate the cost of designated welfare equipment rental and designated assistive nursing care welfare equipment for those who are expected to soon have difficulties rising from bed or changing positions on a daily basis”.
Please consult your doctor.