Health Insurance for the Elderly
Health insurance for the elderly was introduced in 1983 to spread the burden of providing health care
for this group equally among various sickness funds and introduced cost-sharing for elderly patients.
Membership in this plan is for those aged 70 and over, as well as disabled persons aged 65–69. These
persons may be in any fund, although they are most likely to be in National Health Insurance. Under
this program, patient cost-sharing is 500 yen per day (up to a maximum of 2,000 yen per month for
the same medical facility) for outpatient care and 1,100 yen per day for hospital care in 1998. This
system creates a pooled fund, to which each individual fund contributes as if it had the national
proportion of the elderly. Patient cost-sharing aside, 70 percent of the total cost is covered by all
sickness funds, 20 percent by the national government, and 10 percent by local governments. In
consideration of the importance of long-term care for the elderly, the proportion borne through public
funds was raised in 1992 from 30 percent to 50 percent in cases in which the expense is related to
long-term care services.