Opposition Tempers Cuts To Japan’s High-Cost Healthcare Benefits

Japan's MHLW has decided to tone down planned policy revisions that would have cut benefits under a patient support scheme for high-priced drugs, after resistance from patient groups.

Japan's high-cost healthcare benefit
Japan's attempt to shrink its high-cost healthcare benefit faced larger-than-expected opposition (Shutterstock)

Japan’s plan to reduce benefits under a scheme that subsidizes high-cost healthcare treatments has created conflict between the government and patient groups as the government faces push-back on its efforts to ease the growing financial burden of its universal healthcare program.

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