February 4, 2000

Kiyoshi SASAMORI
General Secretary
Japanese Trade Union Confederation (JTUC-RENGO)

The major contents of the proposed revision are 1) an abolition of partial charges on medicine costs for the aged, 2) an introduction of a fixed rate charge for the aged, 3) an increase in expensive treatment costs, and 4) a review of the upper limit of a premium rate. It also proposed that medicine costs charge for the young are to be abolished by Heisei 14 (2003) when necessary resource will be secured. The report says, "a draft submitted for deliberation only deals with the current financial measures. The Ministry of Welfare should advance a prompt examination and should be responsible for its implementation at the earliest possible opportunity." It also mentions the pros and cons for each item of the proposed revision.

The true nature of the revision is to shift the burden of future increases in medical costs on to the insured and patients. The increase shall be caused by the LDP's decision to raise medical treatment fees. They listened to the Japan Doctors Association and acted in its favour without implementing the government promise, a complete reform of the medical system. The committee member nominated by RENGO opposed the proposed revision basically, expressing that this will not be accepted. The committee member also opposed each item raising the following reasons.

1. A fixed rate charge of 10% for the aged should be examined in a comprehensive reform of the medical system for the aged. It is certain that different upper limits for a hospital and a clinic make the system more complicated and lead to confusion for patients and practitioners.
2. A new system which provides a new category, "high income earners" for high medical costs will make "high income earners" to pay more. This will change the basic principle of the social insurance fundamentally, which is "a premium shall be based on income and benefits shall be equal to everybody."
3. An upper limit of the premium rate shall be applied on health insurance only and this will make caring insurance separate. This ignores the policy of the Ministry of Welfare, which promises to keep total premiums including caring insurance within the upper limit. Thus, it's a real increase in the insurance premium

Workers' lives are about to be pressured for the profit of a small group of people. This is an "increase of burden without a reform." RENGO will not accept this.
This is about to be submitted to an ordinary session of diet as a budget-related bill.

RENGO will launch a national campaign to collect 10 million signatures calling for the withdrawal of this increased burden on patients and raised medical treatment costs. It will also strengthen the tie with the payers' organisation such as the Health Insurance Federation and Nikkeiren and will intensify its activity to oppose an increased burden without the prospect of a complete reform of the medical system.