Japan Govt Calls for Road Map to Medical Payment Hikes

Tokyo, April 28 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Finance Ministry on Tuesday called for a road map to raising out-of-pocket medical payments by patients aged 70 or older to reduce the health insurance premium burden on the working generation. The road map to consolidating their payment rates eventually to a uniform 30 pct should be created, the ministry said at a meeting of a subcommittee of the Fiscal System Council, which advises the finance minister. The government plans to decide details of changes to out-of-pocket medical payment rates by the end of fiscal 2026. Under the country’s public health insurance system, people aged under 70 are required to pay 30 pct of the medical costs out of pocket in principle. But the rate stands at 10 or 20 pct for those aged 70 or older, unless their incomes are comparable to those in the working generation. According to the ministry, people paying 30 pct account for only 11 pct of those aged between 70 and 74 and 7 pct of those aged 75 or older. At the subcommittee meeting, the ministry said that the payment rates should be a uniform 30 pct regardless of age in principle. For those aged 75 or older, a drastic review should be made to realize the goal eventually, if not soon, the ministry added. The ministry also said the ceiling on out-of-pocket medical costs of outpatients aged 70 or older should be abolished. Also proposed was a review of a system that significantly limits the maximum out-of-pocket expense only for some designated diseases, such as those requiring dialysis, from the viewpoint of fairness with other diseases such as cancer. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]