Health and Global Policy Institute

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Building a Social Security System that Works
for All Generations

New HGPI Report Presents Policy Options and Three Key Ideas for
the Future of the Japanese Health System

 

TOKYO, July 17, 2020 – Health and Global has announced a new report and policy brief on reforming the Japanese social security system toward the era of 100 Year lifespans.

 

New Publications:

• Rebalancing Innovation and Sustainability Taskforce Report – The Role of Healthcare Within a Social Security System Oriented to All Generations: Building a Health System That Can Ensure Healthy Longevity in an Era of 100-Year Lifespans
• Policy Brief – Building a Health System that can Ensure Healthy Longevity in an Era of 100 Year Lifespans: Three Concepts to Guide Policy

 

For the full report and policy brief, please see the PDFs below.

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. However, the population structure of Japan is now very different from what it was when the health system was first created. How can Japan adjust its healthcare system to better serve the population as it continues to experience a low birthrate and population aging?

In FY2019, HGPI brought together a taskforce of public and private sector experts to answer that question, and debate solutions to other urgent issues facing the health system. The report and policy brief being announced today are the result of this taskforce’s work.

 

“Rebalancing Healthcare Systems: Innovation and Sustainability” Taskforce (alphabetical order by last name)

Taskforce Report Authors/Members:
Ataru Igarashi (Associate Professor, Unit of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Yokohama City University of Medicine)
Isao Kamae (Project Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo)
Hiroshi Nakamura (Professor, Graduate School of Business Administration, Keio University)
Kazumasa Oguro (Professor, Faculty of Economics, Hosei University)
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)

Members:
Mamoru Ichikawa (Principal Program Director, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK))
Satoshi Imamura (Vice-President, Japan Medical Association)
Toshio Nagase (Government Affairs Japan, Gilead Science K.K.)
Naokazu Saito (Director, Policy Intelligence Department, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K.)
Naomi Sakurai (President, Cancer Solutions Co., Ltd.)
Hirokazu Yoshii (Special Advisor to the President, Health Insurance Claims Review & Reimbursement Services)

Taskforce Observers:
Michinori Haba (Director for Budget, Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance)
Toshinori Kawaguchi (Director for Policy Planning, Healthcare Industries Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (METI))
Kazumi Nishikawa (Director, Healthcare Industries Division, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI))
Masami Sakoi (Assistant Minister, Minister’s Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW))

In addition, the following experts provided input to the taskforce during an expert forum on the social security system held in November 2019:
Hisao Endo(Chairman, Social Security Council (Director-General, National Institute of Population and Social Security Research))
Kiyoshi Kurokawa (Chairman, HGPI)
Masahiro Sano (Executive Managing Director, National Federation of Health Insurance Societies (Kenporen))
Kenji Shimazaki (Professor, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies)
Hirotaka Unami (Deputy Director-General, Budget Bureau, Ministry of Finance)

 

■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

June 2, 2020 “Eliminating Waste While Ensuring Access to the Highest Quality of Medical Care” Expert Roundtable

June 4, 2020 “Investments Needed to Improve the Health of the Public” Expert Roundtable