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Tokyo - The Japanese government is considering fully covering expenses for child delivery under the public medical insurance system from fiscal 2026, in its latest effort to battle declining births, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
Under the medical insurance system in Japan, people basically pay 10 to 30 percent of medical costs out of pocket when they receive treatment for illness and injuries. Normal deliveries, excluding cases like cesarean sections, are not considered illnesses and therefore not covered.
However, a plan has emerged to create a new framework within the system to cover childbirth expenses without any out-of-pocket payments.
Since medical institutions can set their own prices for normal deliveries, childbirth costs in the country have largely differed among prefectures, with the national average standing at around 503,000 yen ($3,200) as of May 2023.
Government data from fiscal 2022 showed that childbirth was most expensive in Tokyo, averaging 605,000 yen, and cheapest in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, at 361,000 yen.
english.kyodonews.net
Under the medical insurance system in Japan, people basically pay 10 to 30 percent of medical costs out of pocket when they receive treatment for illness and injuries. Normal deliveries, excluding cases like cesarean sections, are not considered illnesses and therefore not covered.
However, a plan has emerged to create a new framework within the system to cover childbirth expenses without any out-of-pocket payments.
Since medical institutions can set their own prices for normal deliveries, childbirth costs in the country have largely differed among prefectures, with the national average standing at around 503,000 yen ($3,200) as of May 2023.
Government data from fiscal 2022 showed that childbirth was most expensive in Tokyo, averaging 605,000 yen, and cheapest in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan, at 361,000 yen.
Japan weighs incentivizing childbirth by fully covering expenses
The Japanese government is considering fully covering expenses for child delivery under the public medical insurance system from fiscal 2026, in its latest effort to battle declining births, sources familiar with the matter say.
