JCP in Diet opposes government plan to increase people's share of medical costs

Koike Akira of the Japanese Communist Party used his question time at a
Upper House committee meeting on November 14 to demand that the government
stop imposing further burdens on patients and medical institutions and
increase the government share of medical costs.

The government is proposing increasing the insured patients' share of
medical costs to 30 percent.

Koike said, "Household expenditure (health insurance premiums and
patients' share of medical costs) has increased to 45 percent in 1999 from
40 percent in 1980, while the government share has been reduced to 25
percent from 30 percent."

Prime Minister Koizumi Jun'ichiro tried to justify the government plan by
saying that "a tax increase would be necessary to implement what the JCP
calls for."

Koike in reply said that changes in budgetary allocation, not a tax
increase, is necessary. He specifically called for a major cut in government
expenditure on large public works projects and for more tax money to be
added to medical services and welfare programs.

Koike also pointed out that profitable pharmaceutical companies through
their political association have donated 110 million yen to the Liberal
Democratic Party and 4 million yen directly to Prime Minister Koizumi
Jun'ichiro.

He said, "You are asking the public to endure increased burdens while you
receive large amounts of money from drug companies. The people will never
accept such hypocrisy." (end)