Japan OKs Bill to Raise Elderly Health Insurance Premiums

Tokyo, Feb. 10 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government Friday adopted a bill to raise public health insurance premium charges for middle- and high-income people aged 75 or over in stages from fiscal 2024.

The bill to revise the health insurance law calls for raising the premiums for people in the age category with over 1.53 million yen in annual pension benefits in accordance with their income levels, in order to reduce the burden on the working-age population.

Also planned is a rise in the ceiling on annual premium payments for those aged 75 or over to 800,000 yen from the current 660,000 yen.

About 40 pct of those in the age category will have to pay higher premiums from fiscal 2024, when a transitional measure will be also taken to reduce the impact of the hike.

With the government set to increase childbirth allowances to 500,000 yen per baby in April this year from the current 420,000 yen in principle, the bill includes a plan to cover 7 pct of the childbirth benefits with financial contributions from the public health insurance system for those aged 75 or over.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]