During the last six months of the Koizumi Cabinet, a law regarding health policy reform was enacted, accompanied by the largest ever reduction in fees for medical treatment. What developments led to the legislation for reform? What has it accomplished and what issues remain to be resolved? Based on an introduction of results from a public opinion survey on “health policy issues and choices defined by the Japanese public,” focus was given to the divergence of reality from public expectation in a debate on the future prospects for healthcare.