Japan eyes health care reform for seniors, shifting more responsibility to older Japanese
The government and ruling coalition will propose the introduction ofa separate public health insurance system for senior citizens aged 75or older in fiscal 2008, government officials said Monday.
The proposal will be incorporated in an outline of plans to reformthe country’s health insurance regime, expected to be compiledWednesday, the officials said. Government ministers and party leadersmet Monday morning to draft the outline.
The draft proposal for the new health insurance system for seniorcitizens stipulates that all municipal governments at city, town andvillage levels will form a prefecturewide scheme and collect insurancepremiums. Each prefectural government and the Tokyo metropolitangovernment will be responsible for the upkeep of their relevantprefecture-based systems.
As of Monday, the draft outline–the first of its kind since fiscal2002–had two parallel draft plans on the share of medical expenses tobe covered by patients, which currently stands at 10 percent for peopleaged 70 or older and 30 percent for people aged up to 69.
One of the draft plans calls on people aged up to 64 to pay 30percent of their medical fees, those aged 65 to 74 to bear 20 percentand those aged 75 or older to pay 10 percent. This billing method,worked out by the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, has already beenapproved by the ruling parties.
According to a second plan, people up to age 69 will be required topay 30 percent of the medical expenses to clinics and hospitals, whilepeople aged 70 or older will have to bear 20 percent on their own.
Both plans have an exception clause obliging senior citizens whoearn the same level of income as those of working age to pay 30 percentinstead of the present 20 percent.
The inclusion of the two plans appears to be nothing more than aone-off political consideration for the Finance Ministry, which hasdemanded further cuts in the government’s fiscal burden concerningmedical expenses, coalition sources said.