The government has tabled a bill in the Diet that would increase the health care costs paid by elderly people in an attempt to contain the state's ballooning expenses for maintaining coverage.
In a measure designed to reform the medical insurance system, outpatients aged 70 and over would be required to cover 10 percent of their medical costs up to 5,000 yen per month. Under current laws, their medical payments cannot exceed 2,120 yen per month.
The government hopes the bill will pass the Diet and go into force on Jan. 1.