Japanese Government to Stop Subsidies for COVID-19 Treatment at the End of March

Japanese illustration. (Unsplash/Dovile Ramoskaite)

JAKARTA - The Japanese government announced on Tuesday that it would stop subsidizing medical costs for those infected with COVID-19, including no longer setting drug costs, at the end of March in line with the decline in the number of cases.

With Japan's healthcare settings returning to pre-pandemic status starting in April, patients will have to pay 10 to 30 percent of the cost of coronavirus treatment drugs. Income level and age determine how much each individual pays.

In addition, government subsidies for inpatient care and medical institutions to provide beds for hospitalized patients due to the coronavirus will also be ended.

"Hospitals are making preparations to receive coronavirus sufferers in general wards and we don't think it will be a problem," explained Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare Keizo Takemi in a press conference, reported by Kyodo News on March 6.

Minister Takemi further said that the ministry on Tuesday gave official approval to Shionogi & Co. to produce and sell the oral coronavirus drug Xocova, after the pharmaceutical company obtained emergency approval in November as the first domestically produced oral drug for the coronavirus.

Currently, coronavirus sufferers with income levels that allow them to pay a maximum of 30 percent of medical costs under the healthcare system will be charged a flat fee of 9,000 yen for antiviral drugs.

If paying the 30 percent fee from April onwards, one would have to pay more than 15,000 yen for a five-day pack of Xocova tablets, which costs about 52,000 yen without subsidies.

Previously, the Japan Infectious Diseases Association and the Japan Chemotherapy Society asked the health ministry to resume government subsidies, fearing rising costs could discourage infected people from buying the drug.

The Japanese government initially covered all medical costs related to the coronavirus. The government has gradually reduced its support since May last year when the virus' status was downgraded to the same category as seasonal influenza.

According to the ministry, the average number of coronavirus sufferers treated at around 5,000 designated medical institutions stood at 7.92 per institution in the week to February 25, down for the third week in a row.

With a decline in the number of cases across Japan's 47 prefectures in the reporting week compared with the previous week, experts estimate the country's 10th COVID-19 wave has passed its peak.