Increase of Co-Payment Rates

• Abstract
• Purpose of health policy or idea
• Characteristics of this policy
• Political and economic background
• Purpose and process analysis
• Expected outcome
• References

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Abstract

In 2002, Prime Minister Koizumi?fs cabinet launched a structural reform to tackle the increasing financial burden of the medical system in Japan by increasing patients?f contributions. Co-payments of patients insured under the Employees?f Health Insurance were raised from 20 to 30 percent, thus harmonizing rates for all public health insurance schemes.

Purpose of health policy or idea

The environment that surrounds medical systems, such as rapid aging, economic inactivation, progress of medical technology, and change of national consciousness, is changing a lot. As one subject of structural reform, Japan has to overcome the current situation and tackle medical system reform in a limited source of revenue called@contributions by the patients, insurance premiums, and the tax revenue of the nation.

A characteristic is that the co-payment rate of patients insured by Employees' Health Insurance is set to increase from 20% to 30%. (The co-payment rate of 30% for patients insured by National Health Insurance had been set from before.)

An expected outcome is that relation between medical benefits and contributions are clarified and become fair.

Mainly, financial incentive is built into this policy.

The patients insured by Employees' Health Insurance can be affected in the form of the rise of a price in primary. Employees' Health insurance finances are affected because benefits of health insurance decrease.

Main points

Main objectives

Medical system reform

Type of incentives

Financial

 

Groups affected

Patients insured by society-managed health insurance, Insurer of society-managed health insurance

Innovationsgrad	traditionell		innovativ
Kontroversität	unumstritten		kontrovers
Strukturelle Wirkung	marginal		fundamental
Medienpräsenz	sehr gering		sehr hoch
Übertragbarkeit	sehr systemabhängig		systemneutral

Political and economic background

In order to revitalize the Japanese economy from the current environment of structural stagnation, it is necessary to bring in all policy measures. Therefore Prime minister Koizumi and his cabinet will try to accelerate the four reforms, namely government expenditure reform, tax system reform, financial system reform and regulatory reform. This medical system reform goes into all those four categories.

Complies with

Depression

Purpose and process analysis

Current Process Stages

	Idee	Pilotprojekt	Strategiepapier	Gesetzgebung	Umsetzung	Evaluation	Veränderung/Richtungswechsel
Implemented in this survey?

Origins of health policy idea

The idea was put forward around February 2002. When the governing party (which consists the Liberal Democratic Party in addition to this with 2 other parties) had agreed with the government, this idea was submitted to the ordinary Diet session.

Prime minister Koizumi and his cabinet are the driving forces behind this idea, because they try to accelerate structural reform.

It's not an entirely new approach, and it follows earlier discussions.

Approach of idea

The approach of the idea is described as:
renewed:

Stakeholder positions

This policy was performed in the bill relating to medical system reform.

JMA (Japan Medical Association) is opposed to this policy, because this raising of individual co-payment rate means an incrase of medical expenses for a patient insured by the Employees' Health Insurance.

In the political meaning, the opposition party is also opposed to this bill.

Influences in policy making and legislation

Yes, this health policy leads to a formal piece of legislation.

Adoption and implementation

MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), JMA (Japan Medical Association)

Expected outcome

The policy will realize "intelligible fair benefits" between each Health Insurance system.

References

Empfohlene Zitierweise für diesen Online-Artikel:

. "Increase of Co-Payment Rates". Health Policy Monitor, 0. Available at http://www.hpm.org/survey/jp/c1/2