How Japan is building a resilient society through equitable healthcare
Japan's universal health insurance system, established in 1961, ensures equitable access to healthcare for all citizens, particularly as the country grapples with an aging population and rising healthcare costs. Recent policy updates aim to enhance efficiency and...
Containing costs and nudging doctors and hospitals towards policy goals in Japan
Japan controls health care costs with a fee schedule setting prices and billing conditions. The fee schedule is revised biennially to align with policy goals. Annual price cuts for pharmaceuticals and devices create fiscal space for priority areas. This approach could...
5th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends on Universal Health Coverage
On September 24, the 5th Annual Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Universal Health Coverage and Global Health, themed ‘Financial Protection: The Key to Unlocking Universal Health Coverage and Ensuring Equitable Access for All,’ was held at the UN...
Japan to discuss health insurance coverage for childbirth
In Japan, the government will begin comprehensive discussions on expanding public health insurance coverage to childbirth for fiscal 2026, as the current coverage generally does not cover childbirth costs.The Health Ministry and the Children and Families Agency will...
Japanese prefecture launches the first health insurance scheme for family members of Vietnamese workers
Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan has introduced the first health insurance program for family members of Vietnamese workers in response to population aging and labor shortages.The Yamanashi prefecture collaborates with Tokio Marine Insurance Vietnam Company to develop a...
Japan has revised official prices for medical fees to be lowered by 0.12%
In fiscal year 2024, Japan medical fees are set to decrease by 0.12%, marking the fifth consecutive reduction in the fees, which are reviewed biennially.The adjustment affects official prices for medical services paid to hospitals and drugstores under the public...
Japan provides cash handouts to low-income households under an emergency relief package
The Japanese government has decided to provide newly cash-strapped households ¥100,000 (USD 774) to low-income households whose income is fallen in recent years. These cash handouts are provided as a part of an emergency relief package. The source of financing will...
Japan pledges $500 million for global vaccine-sharing efforts
Japan is one of the major contributors in funding initiatives for vaccines. Japan will contribute up to $500 million to U.N.-backed efforts to ensure equal access to COVID-19 vaccines especially among lower-income countries. The collaboration is co-hosted by Gavi, a...
Multiple fertility treatment methods to be covered by public insurance in Japan from April
Japan's public health insurance will include multiple fertility treatment methods under the health benefit package, starting from April 2022, aiming to reduce financial burden for those who try to achieve successful pregnancies. The treatments to be covered include...
Japan braces itself against the COVID-19 pandemic with the largest ever budget for 2022
Japan's cabinet has approved a record ¥107.60 trillion budget for 2022 to fight against the pandemic and increasing social security costs. Social security spending is more than a third of the overall budget to address the medical needs of the aging population. The...
Japan plans to increase wage for care workers and nurses
Japan plans to increase wage for care workers, nursery school staffs, and nurses under the new stimulus package. The expected total budget for the stimulus package is greater than 30 trillion yen, aiming to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 through boosting economic...
Japan plans for fiscal year 2022 total 111 trillion yen to control COVID-19
Due to a rise of social security expenditures, budget requests from government ministries and agencies reach 111 trillion yen ($1 trillion) in total for fiscal 2022. Social security costs accounted for one-third of government expenditures. The health ministry...
Japan to use $13 bil. in reserve funds for COVID measures
Japan's cabinet has approved 1.4 trillion yen ($13 billion) in fiscal 2021 reserve funds. This budget is mainly allocated to purchasing COVID-19 vaccines and securing medicines for patients. Of the total budget, the government allocated about 841.5 billion yen...
Japan changes its COVID-19 hospitalization policy
Japan's policy shifts the prioritization and hospitalization resources allocation to severely ill or high-risk COVID-19 patients. Severe illness refers to the patient has severe pneumonia and needs to be admitted to an intensive care unit and receive treatment...
Japan considers a second COVID-19 payment to vulnerable households
The Japan government is considering to provide monthly payments for needy households to help ease the financial strain due to COVID-19 pandemic. Considering monthly payments are ¥60,000 for single-member households, ¥80,000 for two-person...