Tripling fees for nursing care proposed

An advisory body to the finance minister on November 26 proposed increasing users' share of costs of nursing-care services to 20 or 30 percent from the present 10 percent. The proposal came as part of a review of the nursing care insurance system.

About 700,000 people, or more than one in every five people certified as persons who need nursing-care services, are not using such services. If the insured users' share of cost increases to 30 percent, more people will be discouraged from using the services, Akahata on November 27 pointed out.

The proposal was included in the Fiscal System Committee's recommendations to the finance minister on the budget compilation of the FY 2004 (April 2004 - March 2005), including those of local government finance and social welfare systems.

The recommendations insisted that the budget for social services should be used to "promote self-help" instead of "protecting and assisting" citizens.

At a press conference, Fiscal Reform Subcommittee Chair Nishimuro Taizo (Toshiba Corporation Chair, Japan Business Federation Vice-president) stated that it is necessary to cut excessive benefits for economically disadvantaged people. (end)