June 25, 2026

The Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions (Min-iren) on June 24 at a press conference in the Welfare Ministry office building published survey results showing that in 2025, 42 people died because they did not go to see a doctor in time due to financial reasons.

The Min-iren survey covered 683 member institutions.

The survey results found out that unemployed persons accounted for 31% of those who died from delay in seeking medical attention.

According to the survey results, of the 42 deceased, 24% had no health insurance cards and 64% had at least a temporary insurance card with which they had to pay the full fee at hospitals. Over 60% supposedly lived on less than 150,000 yen a month and 57% lived alone.

A woman in her 50s who was diagnosed with a thyroid disease, for example, saw her household income decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She interrupted her treatment in order to put priority on the repayment of her credit card loans and child’s student loan. She went to see a doctor because she was having trouble breathing and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She died two months later.

At the press conference, Min-iren Secretary General Irie Keiichi referred to the government’s policy of excluding OTC-like drugs from insurance coverage and raising the high-cost medical care co-payment cap. He expressed concern that these measures will impose a heavier financial burden on patients, which will lead more and more people to hesitate to see a doctor. He stated that in light of Article 25 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to live, a situation in which people die because their financial problems prevent them from accessing proper medical care is unacceptable.

Past related article:
> Revised health insurance law enacted which requires patients to pay 25% more for medicines [May 30, 2026]