The Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) held an expert roundtable to debate policy recommendations on the social security system toward the era of a 100-Year Life Society.

Since the achievement of universal health coverage in 1961, the Japanese health system has supported the growth of the one of the healthiest and longest living populations in the world. As that population continues to age, Japan is being presented with a tremendous opportunity: to show the rest of the world how a super-aging society can successfully maintain a national health insurance system that works for all generations, and that can incorporate medical innovations and ensure healthy longevity even under circumstances in which members of the population regularly live to over 100-years of age.

In 2019, HGPI brought together a diverse group of stakeholders together for a series of expert taskforce meetings on the issues facing the Japanese healthcare system. This taskforce discussed recommendations for the Japanese healthcare system based on three concepts: 1) The purpose of the healthcare system should not just be to cure, but to improve the health of the entire population it serves; 2) Money is not “spent” on the healthcare system, it is invested. It produces returns in the form of better health outcomes, increased productivity, and other benefits; 3) That said, it is crucial that waste in the healthcare system be identified and eliminated to ensure the system’s sustainability in the future. HGPI summarized the discussion of this taskforce into a “Grand Concept on the Reform of the Japanese Healthcare System.” This roundtable was held with the aim of turning that concept document into concrete policy recommendations. This roundtable focused specifically on the theme, “Eliminating Waste While Ensuring Access to the Highest Quality of Medical Care.”

The roundtable was held online, and joined by many of the taskforce members as well as outside experts. The discussion covered such points as the expansion of health technology assessments (HTA) in Japan, how to comprehensively evaluate value in the healthcare system, and macroeconomic measures to improve the sustainability of the healthcare system.

In light of the situation with novel coronavirus, this event was carried out online.

■Program
Meeting Explanation
Matt McEnany (Senior Manager, HGPI)

Presentation “Measures to Increase Spending Efficiency”
Isao Kamae (Project Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo)

Presentation “Value Based Medicine – Philosophy and Methods”
Ataru Igarashi (Associate Professor, Unit of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Yokohama City University of Medicine / Visiting Associate Professor, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo / Fellow, HGPI)

Presentation “Financing Mechanisms to Help Fund New Treatments and Health Interventions”
Kazumasa Oguro (Professor, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University)

Taskforce Discussion
Taskforce Members (alphabetical order by last name):
Mamoru Ichikawa (Principal Program Director, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK))
Toshio Nagase (Senior Director, Government Affairs Japan, Gilead Science K.K.)
Hiroshi Nakamura (Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University)
Naokazu Saito (Director, Policy Intelligence Department, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.)
Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd.)
Eiko Shimizu (Project Associate Professor, ITHC, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo)
Mitsuo Umezu (Director, Institute for Medical Regulatory Science, Waseda University)

Observer:
Kazumi Nishikawa (Director, Healthcare Industries Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI))
Michinori Haba (Director for Budget, Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance)

Moderators:
Joji Sugawara (Senior Associate, HGPI)

■Related events held as part of the “Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” project in FY2019 (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