The government adopted a package of bills Friday to limit its health-care costs as part of an overall medical reform plan.
The measures include increasing costs for the elderly and implementing programs to reduce the number of lifestyle-related diseases.
Specifically, the bills say people over 69 with high incomes will have to pay 30 percent of their total medical costs, up from 20 percent, starting in October.
The 30 percent requirement would take effect if a married couple earns an annual income of 6.21 million yen or more.
People aged 70 to 74 in the middle-income bracket will have to cover 20 percent of their bills, up from 10 percent, starting in fiscal 2008.
All patients over 69 in long-term care will have to pay for their rooms and meals starting in October.
As part of medium- to long-term measures to trim health-care spending, the government plans to have a national plan in fiscal 2008 aimed at curbing expenses even more.
Under the plan, prefectures will be asked to map out their own programs, setting targets to reduce the number of days its residents spend in hospitals and the percentage of people with lifestyle-related diseases, including diabetes.
To cope with the costs of the rapidly aging society, the government will replace the current health insurance program for people over 64 in fiscal 2008 with two new programs -- one for people aged 65 to 74 and another for those over 74.
That plan will see people in the over-74 group paying even more for medical treatment and prescriptions.
The bills adopted Friday also include expanding medical institutions' advertising; allowing entities that offer ordinary and emergency medical service in rural areas with low populations to float bonds for public subscription; and creating a training system for doctors who have had administrative punishment.