Nationwide day of action held demanding immediate abolition of discriminatory health insurance system for the elderly

Japan Press Weekly

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

Nationwide day of action held demanding immediate abolition of discriminatory health insurance system for the elderly

The Hatoyama government’s decision to postpone abolishing the discriminatory health insurance system for the elderly aged 75 and over are increasing elderly people’s anger.

On February 19, the Japan Pensioners’ Union held a nationwide day of action calling for the immediate abolition of this discriminatory system.

In Tokyo, more than 1,000 union members from Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama prefectures assembled in front of the House of Councilors Members’ Office Building to hold a sit-in. Union Chair Shinozuka Tasuke said, “As soon as taking power, the Democratic Party of Japan made clear its intention to avoid putting an end to this controversial health insurance system for four years. We have to increase our tenacious efforts to get the government to repeal this system without delay.”

Along with participants in other parts of Japan, including Fukushima Prefecture in the Tohoku region and Oita Prefecture in the Kyushu region, together with an anti-poverty group and labor unions, pensioners’ union members took to the streets to collect signatures in support of the abolition of the system.

In a rally held in Fukushima City with about 180 participants, a delegate of an anti-poverty group said, “We collected 2,800 signatures by raising people’s awareness about this system which blatantly discriminates against the elderly.”

- Akahata, February 20, 2010