Refer Report
Medical staff at the Ancient Anam Hospital moving around the hospital. Reporter Han Su-bin
Local media reported on the 4th that Japan’s annual medical expenses, a “super-aging society,” reached approximately 437 trillion won, breaking the record.
According to reports, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced the previous day that medical expenses paid to medical institutions in the 2023 fiscal year (April 2023 to March 2024) increased by 2.9% year-on-year to 47.3 trillion yen (approximately 437 trillion won).
As a result, Japan’s medical expenses have broken the record for the third consecutive year since fiscal year 2021. Medical expenses refer to the amount paid by patients or public health insurance to medical institutions when receiving treatment for illness, injury, etc.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun analyzed that the increase in medical expenses was due to the increase in the population aged 75 and over as the “Dankai Generation,” the baby boomers born between 1947 and 1949, began to turn 75.
People aged 75 and over account for 16.1% of the Japanese population, but account for 39.8% of total medical expenses. The number of people aged 75 and over in Japan exceeded 20 million for the first time last year.
The per capita medical expenses for people aged 75 and over are also higher than those of other age groups. Their average annual medical expenses per person are 965,000 yen (about 8.92 million won), which is about four times higher than the 252,000 yen (about 2.33 million won) for people under 75.
It was also analyzed that medical expenses for preschool children increased by 6.7% compared to the previous year due to the spread of influenza and various infectious diseases.
The Sankei Shimbun pointed out that, “Medical expenses are expected to continue to increase in line with the increase in the elderly population,” and that “reforms to curb costs are urgent.”
Source: Korean