Japan Press Weekly

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2008 March 26 - April 1 [WELFARE]

4 opposition parties hold rally against new system forcing the elderly to pay more for medical treatment

The four Japanese opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party, held a rally on March 26 in Tokyo calling for the new medical-care system for the elderly aged 75 and over to be revoked.

About 400 people participated in the rally that included Diet members and representatives of social welfare and medical organizations, and voiced their opposition to the system forcing the elderly to pay more.

JCP Chair Shii Kazuo and representatives of the Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, and the People’s New Party spoke at the rally demanding the abolition of the new medical system. New Party Japan Captain Tanaka Yasuo also spoke.

Shii pointed out that the elderly are enraged by the introduction of the discriminatory medical-care system that is tantamount to denying the existence of the elderly as human beings.

He said, “This new medical-care system for the elderly is a system in which all people will be ‘excluded by the government’ at the age of 75. Let’s stop the implementation of this system by increasing solidarity by setting aside political and generational differences.”

Democratic Party Japan Acting President Kan Naoto said, “We will do our utmost to stop the new system from undermining the basis of the medical-care system”

Social Democratic Party President Fukushima Mizuho said, “Let’s reject policies that run counter to aging without undue worries.”

Representatives of the elderly as well as social welfare and medical organizations also spoke. They said, “The new system amounts to telling the elderly at 75 and older to go as quickly as possible because they are useless.”
- Akahata, March 27, 2008