- The government and the
three governing party carried out the steamrolling of "the bill
which revises the parts of the Health Insurance Law etc.", and
the "bill which revises parts of the Medical Service Law etc."
in the Lower House Standing Committee on Health and Welfare today.
RENGO protests against postponing the implementation in the 2000 fiscal
year of drastic reform of a medical system, having not fully deliberated
the above-mentioned revision bills which imputed the new burden to
a patient and the insured, and having carried out the steamrolling
in the committee in spite of the strong contrary of the opposition
party.
- There are serious problems
that should not be allowed in reform bills. The first, it is the introduction
of the ten percent burden of fixed rates with a maximum to an old
man. A maximum frame changes with hospital scales etc. and the amount
of a burden can be different even for the same medical expense. It
is the complicated systems. The reform of the health care system for
the elderly for which solution should be hurried is again postponed.
Introduction of a fixed rate system should be considered in founding
a new old-people medical system.
The second problem is reexamination of large sum medical expenses.
Although a present individual coverage limit is 63,600 yen, the bill
newly makes it 121,800 yen for a man with the monthly income of about
560,000 yen or more and, furthermore it adds to individual coverage
1% of the medical expenses exceeding a limit. This distorts the basic
idea of a medical insurance system that a premium is according to
income and benefit is equally paid.
- The third problem is reexamination
of the rate of a legal maximum of a premium. The charge of elderly
care insurance adds together with a health insurance premium, and
is collected in the range not exceeding the rate of a maximum present.
However, in this revision, this rate of a maximum premium is applied
only to the health insurance premium, but not to the elderly care
insurance. It has become the measure urged to real raising of a health
insurance premium. Although the main factor of the severity of present
health insurance finances is in the increase in the contribution of
old-man health insurance, the government also postpones the measure
this time. The government should increase the public expenditure burden
of medicine expense for the elderly to 50 percent instantly as a means
to reduce the burden of the insurer and the insured.
The biggest problem is delaying fundamental reform. How many times
does the government deceive the people? Enforcement of the reform
in the 2002 fiscal year should be specified in a law, and the government
should promise surely carrying out it to people.
- The Medical Service Council
has been examining the medical service system and its reform over
two years. However, the contents of this revision bill does not touch
all important matters for patients, such as raising of a nursing standard,
and legislation of a medical record disclosure, relaxing of advertising
regulation, etc. due to the opposition of the Japan Medical Association.
This revision bill should be amended.
- The medical insurance
system is faced with financial difficulty by expansion of geriatric
medicine expense etc., and the quality of medical treatments is also
deteriorating, as characterized by frequent occurrence of the medical
accident. In order for people to feel easy over the future and to
be able to receive a good medical service, drastic reform of medical
treatment and a medical insurance system is an urgent challenge.
RENGO develops the request to Diet member centering on the Democratic
Party in the House of Councilors, Diet sessions visits, street campaigning
actions, etc., aiming at realization of the thorough deliberations
on both bills and big revisions.
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