The changing face of medical care for Japan's older residents amid COVID-19
The prolonged state of social isolation amid the ongoing pandemic is deteriorating the mental and physical health of Japan's seniors.
Japan's Diet starts talks on medical fee hike for older people
The envisaged cost hike to 20% is expected to affect some 3.7 million people.
Despite push, integration of My Number and health cards off to slow start
The rate of uptake for the cards is low at around 25% and, due to the pandemic, many health care providers are not in a rush to install the required systems.
The health ministry had planned to launch an online insurance eligibility confirmation system nationwide in late March, but has run into problems.
Should older people pay a larger share of their health care costs?
The government has approved a proposal that would require those aged over 74 to pay 20% of health care costs out of pocket, thus doubling the portion they currently pay.
Japan to raise medical fees for people over 75 based on income
The government plan is part of efforts to avoid a further increase in the burden on younger generations due to a rapidly graying population and low birthrate.
Japan aims to remove income cap on subsidies for fertility treatment
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Monday the government aims to abolish the cap on income to make it easier for all couples to receive subsidies for fertility treatment as Japan faces a declining birth rate. Suga's remark came in response to calls that, in order ...
Suga's fertility push hailed, but not panacea for boosting birth rate
Couples welcome moves to bring treatment under national insurance, but urge against putting pressure on people to bear children.
Medical expenses in Japan in fiscal 2019, which ended in March this year, grew 2.4 percent from the previous year to a record ¥43.6 trillion, the health ministry said in a preliminary report Friday. The amount of money paid to medical institutions for treating diseases ...
Japan's health insurance to cover ¥167 million gene therapy drug
Considered the world's most expensive medicine, relatively few cases are expected to require the one-time dosage of drug to treat spinal muscular atrophy.
Japan's silence on HPV vaccinations will lead to 11,000 cancer deaths, study says
A decision by the government to stop recommending adolescent girls receive an HPV vaccination will likely result in almost 11,000 deaths from cervical cancer if it is not reversed, according to a study in a prestigious medical journal. The HPV vaccine has been a political ...
Government sends notices to prefectures seeking talks on merging some public hospitals
As the country faces a need to streamline the medical sector amid soaring medical expenses, the health ministry has sent notices to prefectures requesting discussions on possible mergers of publicly run local hospitals. The move came after the ministry announced the list of 424 public ...
