TOKYO, May 15 (Bernama-Kyodo) – Japan's health ministry is set to eliminate out-of-pocket payments associated with childbirth, possibly from April next year, to address the country's declining birth rate, Kyodo News Agency reported.
One proposed approach in the policy approved on Wednesday by a panel of experts involves fully covering expenses for normal deliveries under the public medical insurance system.
Normal childbirth currently falls outside the scope of insurance coverage as it is not regarded as a medical condition like illness or injury, although caesarean sections are covered as an exception. Epidurals, in which labour pain is reduced, are expected to remain outside coverage under the proposals.
Since medical institutions can set their own prices for normal deliveries, childbirth costs in the country have largely differed among prefectures.
While the government currently provides a lump-sum payment of 500,000 yen (US$3,400) for each childbirth, delivery costs have been on the rise and often exceed that amount.
The average cost nationwide for a normal childbirth in the first half of fiscal 2024 was around 518,000 yen, figures from the Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry showed.
If childbirth becomes eligible for public coverage, a unified price will be set nationwide. But obstetricians have expressed concerns that the move could cause financial strain for medical institutions due to reduced revenue.
-- BERNAMA-KYODO
