Japan Press Weekly

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2023 May 24 - 30 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Nationwide network aims to collect 1-million signatures calling for free medical care for children up to 18

A nationwide network consisting mainly of the New Japan Women's Association (Shinfujin) and the Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-iren) submitted 103,026 signatures to the Diet on May 24, calling on the central government to provide free medical services for children up to 18 years old.

The network says that by May 2025, it will collect at least one million signatures to this effect.

In submitting the signatures, the network held a rally in the House of Councilors members' office building. Japanese Communist Party member of the Lower House Miyamoto Toru, along with JCP members of the Upper House Kurabayashi Akiko and Kira Yoshiko spoke in solidarity at the rally. Dietmembers from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan were also present at the rally.

The number of municipal governments which have their own subsidy program for medical expenses has been increasing. Currently, 822 municipalities (about 47% of the total) provide free medical care for children until they graduate from high school, up from 41 (about 2%) municipalities in 2013. Free-of-charge hospitalization for children up to high school has been adopted in 900 (about 52%) municipalities, up from 43 (about 2%) ten years ago.

The rally participants complained about a major gap in charges for medical fees between municipalities, demanding that the central government create a uniform system to eliminate regional disparities.

Maeda Yoshiko, president of the Japan Medical Women’s Association, said, "The national government should have prioritized a waiver of medical fees for children over the planned increase in the military budget." Lawyer Ota Isako said, "The central government should guarantee children's right to access medical care without money worries." Wada Hiroshi, a pediatrician, said that some households cannot afford to seek treatment for their children because they have to shoulder a substantial share of the medical costs at hospitals.