TOKYO, Sept 2 (NNN-NHK) – Medical costs in Japan in the fiscal year 2020, which finished in Mar this year, dropped a record 3.2 percent from a year earlier to 42.16 trillion yen (382 billion U.S. dollars), according to a preliminary report by the health ministry.
The amount of money spent to medical institutions for treating diseases and injuries declined for the first time in four years, as people refrained from going to the doctor’s, concerned for the risk of contracting COVID-19.
The fall is also attributed to a decrease in influenza and other patients, as people followed hygiene practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic, such as wearing face masks and washing their hands, the report said.
The figure of influenza patients is estimated to have plunged to about 14,000 from nearly 7.3 million in the previous season, according to the health ministry.
Costs for inpatient treatment went down 3.4 percent to 17 trillion yen (154 billion dollars), and those for outpatient treatment fell 4.4 percent to 14 trillion yen (127 billion dollars).
Expenses for dental patients decreased 0.8 percent and drug-dispensing costs slipped 2.7 percent.
By disease type, costs for treating respiratory illness plunged 25.3 percent to 1.67 trillion yen (15 billion dollars), with those related to COVID-19 totalling around 120 billion (one billion dollars).
By clinical department, pediatricians saw the sharpest drop of 22.2 percent in medical expenses, followed by a 19.7 percent fall in otolaryngologists.
Meanwhile, expenses for medical treatment for children of preschool age or younger, in particular, declined 19.1 percent.
Per capita medical costs came to 335,000 yen (3,035 dollars), down by 10,000 yen (90 dollars). Medical expenses for those aging 75 or over averaged 920,000 yen (8,336 dollars), over four times the average of 219,000 yen (1,984 dollars) for those under 75.
The reported medical costs contain the total amount of payments from the public health insurance system, taxpayers’ money and out-of-pocket costs shouldered by patients. Medical expenses fully paid by patients and those covered by the worker compensation system are not included.
The preliminary total accounts for around 98 percent of all national medical expenses in Japan in fiscal 2020.– NNN-NHK
