JCP Fuwa reveals P.M. Koizumi's blueprint of continuous adverse revision of medical system

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo has denounced Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro for trying to adversely change the nation's social security programs based on what he envisaged in 1997 as health and welfare minister.

Fuwa was speaking at a JCP public assembly in Kumamoto City on May 23.

He revealed that in 1997, when Koizumi was health and welfare minister, the ministry drew up a health insurance system reform plan, which envisaged (1) charging insured elderly patients 10 to 20 percent of costs for medical treatment they receive; (2) raising the insured patients' payment of fees for medical treatment to 30 percent from the present 20 percent; and (3) creating a health insurance system for the elderly which will collect contributions from all insured elderly people.

The first item has been implemented since January.

Fuwa said, "The Koizumi Cabinet is planning to carry through what it describes as "social security reforms" based on the second and third points of the 1997 blueprint."

By calling for the virtue of 'self-help,' Prime Minister Koizumio intends to force the people to pay more, which is business as usual in Liberal Democratic Party politics, contrary to the people's expectations. (end)