Japan Enacts Health Insurance System Reform

Tokyo, May 29 (Jiji Press)--The Diet, or Japan’s parliament, on Friday enacted health insurance system reform bills that call for, among others, raising patients’ out-of-pocket expenses for prescribed drugs with ingredients and effects similar to those of over-the-counter drugs.

Starting next March, 25 pct of the prices of such OTC-like drugs will be fully charged to patients as a special fee, while co-payment rates ranging from 10 pct to 30 pct will apply to the remaining 75 pct.

About 1,100 drugs, including moisturizers and hay fever drugs, will be subject to the additional burden. Children and patients with intractable diseases will be exempt from the special fee.

The measure is aimed at reducing the country’s medical costs and health insurance premiums paid by working generations.

The reform legislation also calls for childbearing costs to be fully covered by public health insurance gradually starting around 2028 as a way to address the country’s declining birthrate.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]