health and life3

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

More than 4.7 million households fail to pay national health insurance premiums

As of June 2005, more than 4.7 million households have failed to pay their premiums for national health insurance, and more than 300,000 households have had their health insurance cards invalidated. Both numbers are the highest ever.

Households in arrears with the premiums account for 18.9 percent of all national health insurance card holders, an increase of about 90,000 households from the year before.

Local municipalities will invalidate the health insurance card if holders are behind with the premiums more than one year and provide them with a temporary card. There are about 319,000 temporary card holders who are required to pay the total amount of medical costs at hospitals.

Since the government decreased its share for the health insurance system from 45 to 38.5 percent in 1984, local municipalities have continued to increase the premiums.

Japanese Communist Party House of Councilors member Koike Akira pointed out that the Koizumi Cabinet's "structural reform" policy has caused a rise in the number of households in arrears on the premiums. He stated that the JCP will continue to make an effort to increase the state share for the national insurance system to the previous rate.
- Akahata, February 14, 2006