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

Stop adverse medical reform bills
Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties are trying to get a set of adverse medical reform bills enacted in the current session of Diet. These are bills to force the public to pay more and impose more medical burdens with decreases in insurance coverage.

The elderly aged 70 and older with annual incomes of over 5.2 million yen (for a couple), which is equivalent to an average active worker's income will be required to pay 30 percent of the medical cost instead of the present 20 percent. Those between 70 and 75 with less than 5.2 million yen in annual income will be required to pay 20 percent instead of the present 10 percent.

Drastic increases in hospital bills will discourage many elderly people from visiting hospitals. This will eventually worsen their chronic diseases, resulting in higher medical costs.

How merciless the government is!

By targeting those aged 75 and over, the government is aiming to collect the insurance premiums from their pension benefit accounts and take away their National Health Insurance cards if they are in arrears in premiums payment.

Inpatients at long-term hospitals will be forced to pay the cost for their meals and beds. The number of medical nursing care beds will be cut by 60 percent. This will make it easier for hospitals to discharge elderly patients.

The Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) has repeatedly called for this adverse medical reform under the pretext that it will help curb the payment of medical benefits. However, its real aim is to reduce the corporate employers' share in the payment of the insurance premiums as well as reduce personnel costs.

Note that the payment of Japan's corporations for social insurance premiums is only 60-70 percent that of European corporations.

Nippon Keidanren has also demanded that the government unconditionally lift the ban on "mixed medical services" that allows medical institutions to provide medical services for those covered by insurance and those without insurance coverage. This will destroy Japan's publicly funded medical insurance system that has supported payment of all necessary medical costs.

Asked by Japanese Communist Party representative Koike Akira at the House of Councilors if the new bill is designed to meet a strong U.S. request on Japan to lift the ban on the mixed medical care systems, the Health, Labor and Welfare minister answered, "Such calls came from the U.S."

The Japanese government, at least until two years ago, maintained its reluctance to meet such U.S. requests by saying that Japan's universal health insurance system must be maintained, but changed its attitude in the face of growing demands from U.S. insurance companies and medical industry.

The bills that give priority to meeting the demands of U.S. and Japanese business circles over the lives and health of the Japanese public must be withdrawn.
- Akahata, June 11, 2006