Japan Press Weekly

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2013 February 13 - 19 [WELFARE]

Medical groups in the 3.11-affected region seek continuation of medical fee exemption

A liaison council of groups of insurance doctors in Japan’s six northern prefectures of Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, and Yamagata is seeking the continuation of the measure to exempt the 3.11-affected residents from paying medical fees.

Representatives of the liaison council in which the Japanese Medical and Dental Practitioners for Improvement of Medical Care (Hodanren) also takes part visited Tokyo on February 14 to submit a written request to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Health Minister Tamura Norihisa.

The national government last September terminated a special measure to bear the full amount of medical costs for disaster-affected patients.

In Iwate and Miyagi, the government now shoulders 80% of their healthcare and nursing-care insurance premiums while municipalities cover 20% in order to continue the relief measure until the end of this fiscal year ending in March. In Fukushima, related-measures vary depending on municipalities, resulting in medical inequalities among the 3.11 sufferers.

A survey conducted by the liaison council shows that more than 80% of the victims living in temporary housing in Iwate and Miyagi answered that they want the exemption to be continued.

The liaison council also requested that the national government work to solve the shortage of doctors, dentists, and medical staff and improve the system of providing medical services in the affected region.