On October 9, 2026, Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held the “Roundtable Discussion Toward a Central Social Insurance Medical Council That Generates Citizen-Centered Health Policy” at the International House of Japan (Minato City, Tokyo). This meeting was organized to provide an opportunity for experts, patients, and others with lived experience to hold open discussions on reform of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council (CSIMC), which has emerged as a political issue.

HGPI has periodically discussed CSIMC reform through the Health Policy Summit and various other projects. Most recently, in January 2026, as part of the Meaningful Involvement Promotion Project, HGPI held the Urgent Symposium “The New Takaichi Administration and Central Social Insurance Medical Council Reform — Ensuring Patients’ Voices are Heard,” at which experts, patients, and others with lived experience discussed the ideal form of CSIMC.

The Coalition Agreement of the coalition government formed by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party in October 2025 explicitly includes “reform of the Central Social Insurance Medical Council to strengthen the functions of hospitals and drug discovery, to reflect the voices of patients, and to implement data-based institutional designs.” At ruling party deliberations held in June 2026, the parties agreed on the need to hear the opinions of a diverse range of stakeholders, but no conclusion was reached. Subsequently, in July 2026, the “Specific Outline of Social Security Reform Items” was compiled based on these deliberations, and CSIMC reform was positioned as one of its 13 reform items. However, the Outline states that the specific system design is to be carried out during FY2026, and the concrete direction of reform has yet to be determined. As of the date of this meeting, the path forward, including when a bill to amend the Social Insurance Medical Council Act will be submitted, remains unclear.

Against this backdrop, HGPI invited experts well versed in the systems and operations surrounding CSIMC and medical service fees, as well as practitioners who have worked to take part in policymaking processes from the standpoint of patients and others with lived experience, to participate in this roundtable discussion. Building on the history and role of CSIMC, participants engaged in a lively discussion while looking ahead to the future of Japanese society and the direction of health reform.

The outcomes of this discussion will be released as policy recommendations by HGPI.

[Overview]

• Date & Time: Friday, October 9, 2026; 13:30-15:30 JST
• Venue: Seminar Room 404, The International House of Japan
• Format: In-Person / Closed-Door Meeting (Chatham House Rule)
• Language: Japanese
  
  

■ Participants (Titles omitted; listed in Japanese syllabary order)

Kyoko Ama (Fellow, HGPI)
Naoki Ikegami (Academic Fellow, HGPI / Visiting Professor, Kurume University School of Medicine / Honorary Professor, Keio University)
Kenji Shimazaki (Professor, Health Service Management, Graduate School of Health and Welfare Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare)
Hiroki Takeda (Director, PPeCC / Auditor, Japanese Network of People Living with HIV (JaNP+))
Akira Morita (Representative Director, Next Generation Fundamental Policy Research Institute (NFI) / Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo)

*This meeting was held under the Chatham House Rule.