NEWSWORTHY
Ministry to let My Number cards be used as health insurance cards from 2020
The welfare ministry has decided to allow the My Number card to be used in place of the national health insurance card from fiscal 2020. The ministry hopes the measure will increase acquisition of the identification card because the insurance card is used more frequently. ...
April 1 marks start of Japan's new medical fees and processes
The new medical prices are out. Last week, after more than a year of intense deliberations among various stakeholders, a panel under the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry released a long list of changes to the nation's medical fees. The fee review, which takes place every ...
Number of households in Japan on welfare hit record high in October
The number of households in Japan receiving welfare increased by 634 in October from the previous month to hit a record high of 1,642,907, up for the sixth straight month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has announced. The growth reflects an increase in ...
Democrats aim for 2018 midterm boost from Trump tax plan fallout, target 'complicit' GOP incumbents
A Democratic congressional candidate outside Philadelphia calls the Republican tax overhaul a "cynical bill" that will redistribute wealth upward. One of her counterparts in California dismisses estimates of tax savings for most U.S. households and says the legislation is "just putting money in the pocket ...
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry warns that 67 percent of all households on welfare will see the monthly payments reduced in 2018.
The Cabinet approves a draft budget of ¥97.7 trillion for fiscal 2018, breaking the record for the sixth year straight.
GOP-led Congress under fire as secrecy-shrouded Trump tax overhaul seen targeting coveted deductions
President Donald Trump's plan for overhauling the U.S. tax system faced growing opposition from interest groups on Sunday, as Republicans prepare to unveil sweeping legislation that could eliminate some of the most popular tax breaks to help pay for lower taxes. Republicans who control the ...
The government and political parties need to offer the public convincing explanations on how the social security system can be sustained.
Japan's social security burden frustrates BOJ's inflation, spending efforts
Japanese companies are paying more for employees these days. Problem is, the money is going toward social security payroll taxes instead of wages, adding to the frustrations of Bank of Japan policymakers seeking higher wages and stronger inflation. While businesses haven't raised salaries much, their ...
Japan's budget requests reach ¥101 trillion for fiscal 2018, making sustainability a challenge
General-account budget requests by government ministries and agencies totaled around ¥101 trillion ($913 billion) for fiscal 2018 amid ballooning social security expenses and record-high defense spending, government officials said Thursday. The budgetary requests submitted to the Finance Ministry topped the ¥100 trillion mark for the ...
The Lower House signs off on a record high ¥97.45 trillion budget for fiscal 2017 that gives priority to social security and defense.
As welfare costs climb, gerontology groups propose higher age for definition of 'elderly'
Japanese between 65 and 74 should no longer be classified as elderly because they are physically and mentally much younger than their counterparts were decades ago, says a proposal backed by two academic societies. Under the recommendation, released Thursday by the Japan Gerontological Society and ...
