The government in its fiscal 2014 draft budget has decided to raise medical fees by an average 0.1 percent. Part of this increase reflects the consumption tax increase starting in April. Revenue from the fee hike is expected to be used mainly to improve emergency medicine and pediatric and obstetrical treatment — fields where quality care has rapidly declined in some localities due to a shortage of medical doctors.
Medical fees comprise two components — the first related to medical skills provided by doctors and the other related to drugs and medical instruments.
While the draft budget increases fees for the first component by 0.1 percent, it decreases them for the second component by 1.36 percent. To reflect the rising consumption tax, a 0.63 percent increase was added to the first component and a 0.73 percent increase was added to the second component. In total, overall medical fees were increased by 0.1 percent.