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Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Bill to adversely revise nursing care insurance passes committee

The House of Councilors Labor and Welfare Committee meeting on June 16 approved by a majority of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Democratic parties a bill to restrict available services and force nursing care insurance users to pay more. The Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party voted against.

JCP representative Koike Akira criticized the government argument that home-visit care services do more harm than good and that it is contrary to its own survey results.

He also pointed out that collecting charges for meals and stays at nursing homes from elderly people in many cases will result in charges bigger than their income from pensions."Such a change can not be called a 'reform'," Koike said.

The Democratic Party of Japan tried to justify the adverse revision by saying that the bill will help to return the nursing care insurance system to its basics because it is centered on preventive care.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo at a news conference on the day severely condemned the passage of the bill by the majority of the three parties. Shii said that restricting the use of services by service users at home and forcing elderly people at care homes to pay more than they can show how callous the present government is to the people. Shii said that the JCP is determined to make efforts so that the bill be foiled in the Upper House. -- Akahata June 17, 2005