A bill to increase payment for healthcare is put on debates in the House of Councilors. It is applied for those older than 75 years of age, and it was approved June 11 by the House of Representatives. If the bill passes both of the Houses, the elderly will have to pay 20% of the actual cost of medical service at the hospitals. Separately, on May 14 an announcement was made on the elderly care insurance premium payment to be implemented during the period of 2021-2023.
HEAVIER BURDENS WILL BE IMPOSED ON THE ELDERLY
Abolish the plan!
Medical service provided to those elderly over 75 years of age is administered by an independent insurance system, the Medical Program for Those Older than 75 Years of Age. Only these senior citizens are enrolled by the plan as the insured. The system is peculiar and cannot be found anywhere in the world. It should be repealed.
The financial sources are of actual payment by elderly people at the hospitals, the insurance premium payment in the program, which accounts 10%, donations from other medical programs to which younger, working generations belong, accounting 40%. The medical program is managed publicly up to 50%.
Currently senior citizens over 75 years of age pay 10% of the actual treatment cost at the hospitals. (If he/she, in a single household, has an income exceeding 3.83 million Yen per annum, he/she owes 30% of the actual cost.)
For many years the financial circle and the healthcare plan managing organizations have claimed to reduce donations to the healthcare program for elderly people. In particular, the 2025 problem has been focused, as all of the baby-boomers will be over 75 years of age by the year. The government, too, has sought for a way in which burdens of working generations should be made less by creating a comprehensive public service system that may respond properly to all generations.
The bill must be dumped
The bill outlines; an elderly person in a single household whose income is between 2 million and 3.83 million Yen yearly will have to pay 20% of the actual treatment cost at the hospital. The plan will be introduced in the latter half of the fiscal 2022. Today, people older than 75 years of age count 18.15 million and 3.2 million of them will be affected. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, at first, had demanded to set the annual income level at a 1.7 million Yen line, and later it was fixed at 2 million Yen through talks of the ruling parties.
Many of senior citizens whose income is around 2 million Yen a year live a tough life due to the surged consumption tax and the pandemic. If they are obliged to pay more at the hospital, they will refrain from consulting with doctors. Thus, diseases will be more serious, which will adversely impact on the healthcare plan. During the decade of 1970, free medical service was offered to those who were over 70 years of age. The bill must be withdrawn.
Monthly elderly care insurance payment - on a digit of \6,000
The elderly care plan is ushered now in the 8th Period. Insurance premium payment is revised every three years. Standard Premiums of the First Category Elderly (over 65 years of age) is \6,014 monthly on the average in the country, which is higher by \145, a 2.5% rise, than that of the previous Period. It is for the first time that the monthly payment exceeds \6,000.
A standard premium is imposed on those elderly who are exempt from paying a residence tax and live with a family member who pays that tax, and whose income is over 800 thousand Yen per annum. The majority of the senior citizens who have a pension amounting two million Yen pay a residence tax, and so their monthly payment in the elderly care plan is beyond the standard premium. Furthermore the insurance premiums are automatically deducted in advance from the pension payment.
If the bill is approved, many of the elderly will face harder life. Let’s raise loud voices of opposition!
廃止すべき制度
７５歳以上の高齢者の医療は、後期高齢者医療制度で運営されている。高齢者のみ被保険者とする独立の医療保険制度は世界に類がなく、廃止すべきだ。
後期高齢者医療制度の財政は、高齢者の自己負担金と、７５歳以上の高齢者の保険料１割、現役世代の各医療保険者からの後期高齢者支援金４割、公費５割で賄われている。
現在７５歳以上の高齢者は、窓口で医療費の１割を負担している（但し、現役並みの所得〈単身世帯の場合、年収３８３万円以上〉の場合は３割負担）。
財界や健康保険組合は、以前から後期高齢者支援金の負担が重いと引下げを求めてきた。とりわけ、２５年に団塊の世代全員が７５歳に達するため、早期の実現を求め、政府も、「全世代対応型の社会保障制度」を掲げ、現役世代の負担の軽減を目指してきた。
引上げは廃案に
法案は、単身世帯で年収２００万円以上３８３万円未満の場合、窓口負担の２割への引上げを２２年度後半から実施する内容だ。７５歳以上の高齢者は約１８１５万人で、約３２０万人が対象となる。厚労省は当初、単身で年収１７０万円以上を対象に検討していたが、自公の与党協議で２００万円以上になった。
年収２００万円台で、消費税引上げやコロナ災害で生活苦に陥っている高齢者は多い。自己負担引上げは、受診抑制を招いて重症化し、逆に医療費増につながりかねない。１９７０年代、７０歳以上は医療費無料の時もあった。引上げ法案は廃案にすべきだ。
６０００円台に
介護保険制度は、今年度から第８期に入っており、保険料は３年ごとに改定される。第１号被保険者（ ６５歳以上）の今期の基準額（月額）の全国平均は６０１４円で、前期比１４５円（２ ・５％）増で、初めて６０００円台に達した。
基準額とは、本人が住民税非課税で、世帯に住民税課税者がいる人で所得金額が８０万以上の場合だ。年金額年２００万円でも大半の人は住民税課税となるので、毎月基準額以上の支払いとなる人は多い。しかも、保険料は年金からの強制天引きである。
多くの高齢者は医療・介護の負担増で生活困難に陥る。反対の声を上げよう。
英訳版↓
No. 1213 Elderly Care and Medical Service
A bill to increase payment for healthcare is put on debates in the House of Councilors. It is applied for those older than 75 years of age, and it was approved June 11 by the House of Representatives. If the bill passes both of the Houses, the elderly will have to pay 20% of the actual cost of medical service at the hospitals. Separately, on May 14 an announcement was made on the elderly care insurance premium payment to be implemented during the period of 2021-2023.
HEAVIER BURDENS WILL BE IMPOSED ON THE ELDERLY
Abolish the plan!
Medical service provided to those elderly over 75 years of age is administered by an independent insurance system, the Medical Program for Those Older than 75 Years of Age. Only these senior citizens are enrolled by the plan as the insured. The system is peculiar and cannot be found anywhere in the world. It should be repealed.
The financial sources are of actual payment by elderly people at the hospitals, the insurance premium payment in the program, which accounts 10%, donations from other medical programs to which younger, working generations belong, accounting 40%. The medical program is managed publicly up to 50%.
Currently senior citizens over 75 years of age pay 10% of the actual treatment cost at the hospitals. (If he/she, in a single household, has an income exceeding 3.83 million Yen per annum, he/she owes 30% of the actual cost.)
For many years the financial circle and the healthcare plan managing organizations have claimed to reduce donations to the healthcare program for elderly people. In particular, the 2025 problem has been focused, as all of the baby-boomers will be over 75 years of age by the year. The government, too, has sought for a way in which burdens of working generations should be made less by creating a comprehensive public service system that may respond properly to all generations.
The bill must be dumped
The bill outlines; an elderly person in a single household whose income is between 2 million and 3.83 million Yen yearly will have to pay 20% of the actual treatment cost at the hospital. The plan will be introduced in the latter half of the fiscal 2022. Today, people older than 75 years of age count 18.15 million and 3.2 million of them will be affected. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, at first, had demanded to set the annual income level at a 1.7 million Yen line, and later it was fixed at 2 million Yen through talks of the ruling parties.
Many of senior citizens whose income is around 2 million Yen a year live a tough life due to the surged consumption tax and the pandemic. If they are obliged to pay more at the hospital, they will refrain from consulting with doctors. Thus, diseases will be more serious, which will adversely impact on the healthcare plan. During the decade of 1970, free medical service was offered to those who were over 70 years of age. The bill must be withdrawn.
Monthly elderly care insurance payment - on a digit of \6,000
The elderly care plan is ushered now in the 8th Period. Insurance premium payment is revised every three years. Standard Premiums of the First Category Elderly (over 65 years of age) is \6,014 monthly on the average in the country, which is higher by \145, a 2.5% rise, than that of the previous Period. It is for the first time that the monthly payment exceeds \6,000.
A standard premium is imposed on those elderly who are exempt from paying a residence tax and live with a family member who pays that tax, and whose income is over 800 thousand Yen per annum. The majority of the senior citizens who have a pension amounting two million Yen pay a residence tax, and so their monthly payment in the elderly care plan is beyond the standard premium. Furthermore the insurance premiums are automatically deducted in advance from the pension payment.
If the bill is approved, many of the elderly will face harder life. Let’s raise loud voices of opposition!
June 8, 2021