4 opposition parties submit bill together to revoke new medical system for elderly

Japan Press Weekly

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

4 opposition parties submit bill together to revoke new medical system for elderly

The four opposition parties on May 23 submitted a bill in the House of Councilors to repeal the newly introduced medical system that excludes the elderly aged 75 and older from the government managed health insurance system.

The action was agreed on earlier in the day by the Japanese Communist, Democratic, Social Democratic, and People’s New parties at a secretaries-general-level meeting.

The 4 parties also agreed to join forces in extra-parliamentary activities as well as in the Diet, to drum up public support to repeal the bill without fail.

The bill calls for the following action:

Abolish the medical system for the elderly aged 75 and over in April 2009, and put them back in the previous healthcare plan for the elderly.

Take the following measures by October:

- Stop deducting insurance premiums from pension benefits

- Reduce burdens of insurance premium payments

- Stop collecting premiums from those who are salary earners’ dependants

- Stop collecting 20 percent of costs for medical treatment from the elderly aged between 70 and 74 at hospital and clinics

- Stop deducting National Insurance premiums from pension benefits for the elderly aged between 65 and 74.

At a joint news conference held later in the day by the 4 opposition parties, JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi said, “The medical system for the elderly aged 75 and over is a discriminatory system that is inhumane and unheard of in the world. It has enraged not only the elderly aged 75 and older but also many other people. It is very significant that the 4 opposition parties joined together to submit a motion to repeal the bill.”

Referring to the upcoming deliberation on the bill, Ichida said that a parliamentary hearing and regional public hearings should be held. - Akahata, May 24, 2008