The Problems of Medical Care in Japan

I watched Michel Moore's "Sicko" the other day. It was very interesting. I laughed and was touched, but over the laughter and tears, I saw horrible images. The worth of life was decided by money: how much he/she can pay for insurance. People believe that the United States is the biggest and richest country, and it considers itself as a leader in liberty and democracy. However, in this movie, Americans didn't seem to be enjoying liberty or democracy.

The show was not in a movie theater, but held by people who worry about the problem of medical care in Japan. Japan is following after the policies of the United States with this issue. So, this movie gives us a chance to see what will happen when we go in the same direction as the U.S.

We have a system of health care insurance in Japan, and it covers all the people, either working for companies or not. However, the system has been changed for the worse many times, and now we have to pay 30% of the money needed for the care. The government is trying to decrease the money for the health care, and it causes a lot of serious problems. For example, people have to pay a lot when they go to the hospital, hospitals need more money, doctors and nurses are working too hard, and some hospitals don't have enough doctors. The insurance companies threaten people who are worrying about their health care costs.

A new health care insurance system for the elderly has started recently. Its name begins with the phrase "late elderly," and insurance tax is charged directly from the old-age pension account of everyone over seventy-five years old. It means that the people who live long have to pay a special tax, instead of being celebrated. It is clear that the old people who live with a small pension will face difficulty. All the old people are angry and depressed about this system.

The government of Japan doesn't want to use money for the health care, welfare, and education, though it uses a lot for weapons, building roads, and so on. In short, this is money to benefit big companies and powers. It seems the same as the U.S. What are the people doing about this problem in the U.S? It seems difficult to change the situation because the insurance companies have a lot of money and power. However, making this movie and watching it is to do something about it. In Japan, the Government's party lost the elections of prefectural council members in Yanaguchi and Okinawa. One of the reasons must be the politics of "the health care system for the late elderly." This could be our answer…