National convention of elderly calls for struggle to repeal adversely revised healthcare system

   The 21st National Convention of Elderly was held on September 17 and 18 in Yokohama City.

   About 2,600 people from around the country took part in 22 events, including group discussions and symposiums on the first day, expressing their determination to do their part as the key players in an aging society in order to pass the protections of the Constitution on to the younger generations.

   In the keynote speech, Yamada Eisaku, the secretary general of the Organizing Committee of the Convention, called for a nationwide movement to revoke the new medical cost system for elderly aged 75 and over, demand a far-reaching improvement in the social security system, and prevent adverse revision of the Constitution.

   The new system that will virtually restrict access to medial services for the elderly is to go into force in April next year. Under this system, elderly aged 75 and over will be forced to enroll in an independent health insurance plan, and their premiums for the insurance will be deducted from the pension benefits for life. If one falls into arrears with premium payments, that person will be treated as a self-paying patient at hospitals with the condition that insurance payments will be made only after the insured clears all his or her arrears.

   Yasutaka Ainoya of the All Japan Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-iren) explained the mechanisms of this new medical services system at a workshop on “structural medical reform and secure medical services.” He said that people’s anger at the adverse medical reforms caused voters to deliver a crushing defeat to Liberal Democratic and Komei parties in the House of Councilors election, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. “We cannot conceive of any options other than getting the new system revoked. We will be in the forefront of the effort by collecting signatures, conducting research, and pressing local governments to support our demand.”

   In the workshop on “welfare assistance and the national health insurance to ensure the right to live,” it was reported that counseling sessions held in many regions by the Association for Protection of Living Conditions and Health, the Democratic Traders and Producers Associations, and the Federation of Democratic Medical Institution cooperating, have succeeded in having the national health insurance premiums reduced or made exempt for the needy or in obtaining welfare assistance for people with little income.

   Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Koike Akira reported on the present Diet situation and encouraged the participants, saying that a society in which the elderly can live in hope should be a society in which all people can live in hope.

   A 70-year-old man from Kawasaki City said, “The elderly are being punished by the residential tax increase and the abolition of tax deductions for the elderly aged 65 and over. We will be forced to endure even more burdens under a new medical cost system for the elderly aged 75 and over. All participants in this convention, including myself, will have no choice other than to reject it. In the House of Councilors election, the coalition government of the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties suffered a crushing defeat, and we now seem to have the momentum to get a breakthrough. We will increase our struggle.”

                              - Akahata, September 18 & 19, 2007