 Ministry seeks advice for increasing nursing care insurance fees The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in a subcommittee of the Social Insurance Council meeting on October 29 proposed to have residents at long-term nursing homes under the nursing care insurance pay for housing and meals. Under the proposal, they will have to pay an additional 30,000 yen a month. Nonaka Hiroshi, who represents the Japan Medical Association, opposed the proposal, saying, "Being in the medical service, I can't accept this proposal imposing excessive burdens on those who have no choice but to live in nursing homes." He walked out of the meeting. The panel also studied a plan for phased cuts in the age of entitlement to the nursing care insurance from the ongoing 40 to 20, in an attempt to levy more premiums. If the nursing care is revised as proposed, the monthly premium will be over 3,900 yen. (end) |