doctor

Doctors support opposition parties, calling for freeze on shifting heavier burden onto patients

The four opposition parties on February 6 held a hearing in Tokyo regarding their bill to freeze the planned increase in workers' share of medical costs. All speakers representing six doctors', patients', and workers' organizations expressed their strong support for the bill.

The opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, are planning to submit the bill next week to put a moratorium on raising the insured patient share of medical costs to 30 percent from the present 20 percent.

Aoyagi Takashi, vice-president of the Japan Medical Association, stated, "The government has already forced citizens to endure an enormous burden. It's wrong to impose an even heavier medical burden on them."

President of the Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for Improvement of Medical Care, Muro Noboru, said, "After the medical expenses of elderly citizens were increased last October, an elderly couple in Fukuoka Prefecture refused to be hospitalized and died." He expressed strong concern about the planned heavier burden because it will discourage citizens from going to hospitals. (end)