Press Conference by Prime Minister Ishiba regarding His Meeting with Patients' Organizations concerning the Review of High-Cost Medical Expense Benefits

[Opening statement by Prime Minister Ishiba]

Thank you for your patience in waiting. I will begin by making a statement. 

I have just finished meeting with representatives of patients' organizations regarding the review of High-cost Medical Expenses Benefits. I listened directly to patients speaking about this issue from the heart.

We have, time and again, with great sincerity taken into consideration issues that have been raised, and we will continue to do so. In response we have, among other actions, deferred increasing the financial burden borne by those who exceed the high-cost medical expense threshold multiple times per year and also reconsidered the plan to divide the system's income categories into narrower income brackets beginning in fiscal year 2026. 

While these acts have been welcomed with a certain degree of praise, we have so far failed to gain understanding on the review we have been planning to undertake at this juncture, including this year's fixed-rate adjustment to how much individuals need to pay out-of-pocket.

I explained that, on account of our expenditures for high-cost medical treatments increasing, we wish to conduct a review of the system itself in order to curb the amount paid in insurance premiums while simultaneously making this important safety net sustainable for the next generation as well.

We have also once again received requests of that nature from insurers. Specifically, the fiscal 2025 fixed-rate adjustment, corresponding to economic and price trends, would be an increase equivalent to 0.1 percent to 0.2 percent of the insured person's income, if the insured is in the middle-income bracket. For people in the lower-income bracket, we have kept the rate of increase well in check. 

We had also hoped to gain the understanding of patients' organizations to enable us to respond to views expressed by the insured. However, these organizations conveyed to us stances such as, "Despite your efforts to keep increases low, those changes might lead to patients limiting the number of medical consultations they have." 

One reason we have been unable to gain the understanding of members of the various patients' organizations until now is that they have characterized our process for considering this matter as failing to take a careful and thorough approach. I believe that the Government must take these comments under due advisement. It would not be desirable to conduct our review when patients have been left feeling apprehensive.

In addition, in the course of the deliberations that have taken place thus far, during a committee meeting, questions were posed to us by Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan President Noda. We have also been presented with views from the Japan Innovation Party, Komeito, and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in both the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. In consideration of this situation, I have taken the decision to postpone implementation of the review in its entirety, including the fixed-rate adjustment planned for this upcoming August. We will consider the policy once again and take a decision on it by this autumn. 

Just now I instructed LDP Secretary-General Moriyama and LDP Policy Research Council Chairman Onodera to examine the necessary procedures, and I also asked Komeito Secretary-General Nishida and Komeito Policy Research Council Chairman Okamoto for their cooperation.

With the draft budget having already passed the House of Representatives, I apologize for mentioning this, but we are still making every possible effort to have the budget enacted by the end of the fiscal year [on March 31]. I hope sincerely for the understanding of everyone involved that this has been an extremely difficult decision indeed.

This system for handling high-cost medical expenses is one of great importance for patients. That is precisely why my administration will make its utmost efforts to follow a careful, thoroughgoing process in the sincere hope that the system becomes sustainable and able to be passed down to the next generation.

I will end my opening statement here.

(On whether or not Prime Minister Ishiba intends to again make amendments to the original draft budget, which is currently being deliberated in the House of Councillors, now that this decision has been made regarding the upcoming review)

As for that, I have just taken the decision on the policy and given instructions to, and asked for cooperation from, the Secretaries-General and Policy Research Council Chairs of the two ruling parties. As for how we will approach the draft budget in the House of Councillors, we will examine the matter and reach a conclusion in the immediate future. 

(On whether or not Prime Minister Ishiba, by saying "in the immediate future," has a specific timeline in mind, such as sometime next week)

When I say "in the immediate future," I mean "in the immediate future."