February 5, 2025

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Tamura Takaaki on February 4 at a Diet meeting demanded that the government cancel its plan to adversely revise the “high-cost medical expense benefit system” which is designed to financially support patients who incur high medical costs.

Under the “high-cost medical expense benefit system”, one of the major elements in Japan’s public health insurance structure, if the self-pay amount paid in a month exceeds a certain limit due to high-cost medical care, the excess amount will be paid as high-cost medical care benefits. The monthly co-payment limit varies depending on the patient’s age and income level. Currently, 7.95 million or one in 15 people use this system.

The government led by Prime Minister Ishiba plans to increase the monthly upper limit on patient’s share in high-cost medical expenses from August 2027.

Tamura at the Lower House Budget Committee meeting pointed out that the government plan will impose a heavier financial burden on low-income patients. He indicated the case of an advanced breast cancer patient who is a non-regular worker. Citing that the average annual income for non-regular workers is two million yen, the JCP lawmaker claimed that a rise in the monthly cap will force this patient to spend nearly 35% of his/her annual earnings to receive treatment.

Tamura argued that the government move has increased concerns among patients undergoing long-term, costly treatments, such as cancer treatment, that they may have to give up on their treatments. He said that even under the current system, these patients are financially struggling, and urged Prime Minister Ishiba to withdraw the government plan to raise the monthly ceiling. In response, PM Ishiba did not provide a clear answer.