March 23, 2012
Nursing-care insurance premiums will drastically increase for citizens aged 65 and older in April while their pension benefits will decrease by 0.3%.
People are obliged to pay nursing-care insurance premiums when they turn 40 years old. The elderly over 65 years old share 20% of the costs for the insurance payments.
The premium rate is revised every 3 years. It has been constantly raised since the insurance system was introduced in 2000.
According to the welfare ministry, the average monthly premium for people over 65 years old will increase from current 4,160 yen to 5,000 yen next month. In 40 percent of municipalities in Japan, they have to pay more than 6,000 yen a month.
Terauchi Junko, secretary general of the Osaka Prefectural Council for the Promotion of Social Security, warned that the average premium for the elderly over 65 years old could be more than 10,000 yen in 15 years, when baby boomers will be main users of nursing-care insurance programs.
Terauchi stressed the need for national and local governments to drastically increase their share of the cost for nursing-care insurance and stop requiring low-income earners to pay the premiums.
People are obliged to pay nursing-care insurance premiums when they turn 40 years old. The elderly over 65 years old share 20% of the costs for the insurance payments.
The premium rate is revised every 3 years. It has been constantly raised since the insurance system was introduced in 2000.
According to the welfare ministry, the average monthly premium for people over 65 years old will increase from current 4,160 yen to 5,000 yen next month. In 40 percent of municipalities in Japan, they have to pay more than 6,000 yen a month.
Terauchi Junko, secretary general of the Osaka Prefectural Council for the Promotion of Social Security, warned that the average premium for the elderly over 65 years old could be more than 10,000 yen in 15 years, when baby boomers will be main users of nursing-care insurance programs.
Terauchi stressed the need for national and local governments to drastically increase their share of the cost for nursing-care insurance and stop requiring low-income earners to pay the premiums.
