The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held a roundtable discussion on February 8, 2021 on how to promote public participation in healthcare policy formation and strengthen the sustainability of Japan’s healthcare system.

Since the achievement of universal health coverage in 1961, Japan’s healthcare system has supported the growth of the one of the healthiest and longest living populations in the world. However, the system is now facing a number of issues, including an increase in the number of elderly people it serves (who tend to require relatively higher medical costs), a decline in the size of the working population that supports the system, and a rise in healthcare costs due to greater use of advanced medical technology.

Healthcare reform affects all people, and in order to promote these reforms, it is important that healthcare policy reflects general public interest. In recent years, opportunities for members of the public to participate in the policy creation and implementation process have been increasing in Japan, such as the Council on Public Relations for Social Security for All Generations aim of providing “choices” for each citizen. Furthermore, public awareness of issues in healthcare has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the first of two roundtable discussions, experts from various sectors discussed the goals and processes by which the public should participate in the healthcare policy formation.

This roundtable series was held with the aim of producing policy recommendations on public participation in the healthcare system policymaking process, which shall be released at a later date.

 

■Overview
Date: Monday, February 8, 2021
Venue: Zoom Webinar
Organizer: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
Participants: Experts from various sectors

 

■Program
Opening Remarks

• Matt McEnany (Senior Manager, HGPI)

Roundtable Discussion

Roundtable Speakers (alphabetical order by last name):

• Kyoko Ama (Representative, Iryou to Kosodate Kurashi to Inochi)
• Mamoru Ichikawa (Medical Journalist/READYFOR Co., Ltd./Visiting Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima University)
• Satoshi Imamura (Vice-President, Japan Medical Association)
• Teruyuki Katori (Professor, Department of Social Welfare, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University)
• Toshiyuki Kanai (Professor, Graduate School of Law and Politics, University of Tokyo)
• Hayato Kume (First Secretary, Embassy of Japan in the United States / Former Deputy Director, Personnel Division, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
• Taisuke Miyake (Director, Policy Division, National Federation of Health Insurance Societies (Kenporen))
• Tessui Nakanishi (Policy Intelligence Department, Janssen Pharma Co., Ltd.)
• Kenichi Oi (Secretary General/Program Director, Cancer Support Community Japan)
• Yasuhiro Sensho (CEO, SENSHO-GUMI Co., Ltd.)

Moderator

• Takahiro Sakauchi (Associate, HGPI)

 

 

■Related events held as part of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” project (chronological order)

October 16, 2019 First Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: Measures to Increase Spending Efficiency

November 5, 2019 Rethinking Social Security: Ensuring an Ideal Balance between Health Insurance Benefits and Premiums – A Multistakeholder Conversation on Japan’s Universal Healthcare System

November 18, 2019 Second Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: Measures to Effectively Control Costs for Research and Development and to Improve Market Access

December 12, 2019 Third Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: The Further Development of Push and Pull Incentives for Innovation

January 16, 2020 Fourth Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: Measures to Strengthen the Information Base / Data Infrastructure to Better Inform Policy Debates

February 17, 2020 Fifth Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: Innovative Financing Mechanisms to Help Fund New Treatments and Health Interventions

March 16, 2020 Sixth Meeting of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce: Value Based Medicine – Philosophy and Methods

June 2, 2020 Expert roundtable to debate policy recommendations on the social security system toward the era of a 100-Year Life Society – Considering How to Structure Healthcare after COVID-19 in Terms of Emergencies Caused by the Pandemic – “Eliminating Waste While Ensuring Access to the Highest Quality of Medical Care”

June 4, 2020 Expert roundtable to debate policy recommendations on the social security system toward the era of a 100-Year Life Society – Considering How to Structure Healthcare after COVID-19 in Terms of Emergencies Caused by the Pandemic – “Investments Needed to Improve the Health of the Public”

January 22, 2021 Innovation and Sustainability Symposium “Expectations Toward the Future Shape of the Japanese Healthcare System Exploring Issues of Cost, Quality, and Access Identified in Public Opinion Research”