- Today, a House of Councillors committee approved a set of bills to raise medical charges. While opposition party members voted against the bills, the Upper House Heals Health, Labour and Welfare Committee approved the bills with a majority
vote by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party, new Komeito and the New Conservative Party. They have been already passed by the House of Representatives. Rengo strongly protests against this reckless action by the ruling coalition
and the Government.
- Rengo has been insisting that drastic reform should be carried out throughout the whole system in order to establish the medical system where the citizen can have relief and reliance. It succeeded in having support of 7.9 million workers
and their families during the "ten million signature campaign" in this spring and submitted the signature book to the Chairpersons of the both Houses.
The Government has not shown concrete contents of reform plans or even the timetable in either Lower or Upper House deliberations. Nevertheless, it rammed the bills through the Diet by power of the number of ruling party members, having rejected
the request for opening public hearings carrying over to the next session by the Democratic Party of Japan and other opposition parties.
- It was made clear in House of Councillors deliberation that these amendment would put new burden of 1.5 trillion yen on the Japanese people with the increase in the payment by salaried workers from 20% to 30% of outpatient treatment costs,
the increase in premiums for health insurance and the increase in medical charges for the elderly. Because of this, some ruling party members and the witness of ruling party nomination stated that they would be opposed firmly if there is not
correction.
However, the Government and the ruling coalition are aiming to have the bills passed by the full Upper House, ignoring voices of majority of the people.
- The bills do not show contents of the medical reform, but imposes additional burden to patients, which leads to the crisis of the medical system. Furthermore, crashing voices of the people by power of the number of the ruling coalition is
to deny democracy and the vote should be withdrawn. The Upper House plenary should not accept the vote of the Committee and must reopen deliberation.
Rengo demands that the bills be dropped and the Government submit a new bill proposing real medical reform.
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