About half of local government heads think the national nursing-care insurance system introduced in April 2000 lacks measures for helping people with low incomes and for coordinating facilities, according to a survey conducted by Kyodo News and its associated newspapers.
The multiple-choice survey was conducted between November and December last year and sent by post to 3,293 heads of local governments. A total of 3,253, or 98.8 percent, responded.
Asked about problems with the system and how it is implemented, 57 percent of the heads of cities, wards, towns and villages that manage the system said it lacks measures to deal with low-income people, the survey showed.