社会保障改革案 負担増求める施策を避けるな

タイの医療費は個人で全額負担ですが、タイは医療費、薬価が安いのでやっていけるのです。
日本では医療費、薬価ともに高すぎるので１０％、２０％の個人負担分でも、タイの全額負担よりきついくらいのものなのです。要するに、日本の医療費、薬価は高すぎるということで、問題の本質はここにあるのです。

日本の老人たちは、病院で世間話しをするのが唯一の楽しみみたいな印象を受けますが、本来病院はそのような場所ではないはずです。世界に名だたる皆保険制度の弊害だと思います。自由化すべきです。

集客のためにディスカウントセールをして、後からそれは間違っていたから差額分を帰せって理論です。
ソクラテスは｢法は悪法であっても守らなければならない｣といって自ら毒をあおって天国へと旅立ったのです。
前回のが悪法なら今回の切り下げも悪法だと思います。
守らなければなりませんね＾＾。
（スラチャイ）

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 18, 2011)
Govt, DPJ must not shy away from increasing public burden
社会保障改革案　負担増求める施策を避けるな（12月17日付・読売社説）

Can progress be made on social security and tax reform by putting off decisions on such key issues as asking the public to accept higher tax burdens and lower pension benefits?
　国民に負担増や給付減を求める改革を軒並み見送ることで、改革は前進するだろうか。

The Democratic Party of Japan's research council on integrated reform of the social security and taxation systems and the DPJ Tax System Research Committee held a joint meeting Friday. The meeting approved an outline of the social security-related portion of a draft of overall reform plans that is scheduled to be worked out before the end of the year.
　民主党の「社会保障と税の一体改革調査会」と「税制調査会」が合同総会を開き、年内にもまとめる一体改革大綱素案のうち、社会保障分野に関する骨子を了承した。

The social security reform outline will likely be formally authorized by the government in a meeting early next week of five related Cabinet ministers.
　週明けの関係５閣僚会合で、正式に政府案となる見通しだ。

It is praiseworthy that the joint meeting of the two key DPJ panels reached an accord to take concrete steps to rectify the overpayment of pension benefits, a question that has been pending since before the change of government that brought the DPJ to power in 2009.
　政権交代前から懸案だった「年金特例水準」の解消に踏み切った点は評価できる。

Pension payouts are designed to fluctuate, in principle, in accordance with ups and downs in consumer prices. When the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito were in power, however, the government left payouts at the same level despite declines in prices.
　年金額は原則として物価の変動に応じて上下するが、自公政権当時に物価が下落したのに年金額は据え置かれた。

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Don't avoid benefit cuts

As a result of the extraordinary measure to avoid cutting payouts, current pension payments are about 2.5 percent higher than they should be.
　この特例措置により、年金額は本来より２・５％高い。

The overpayment for the last 10 years may be as high as 7 trillion yen.
約１０年の累計で７兆円もの「払い過ぎ」が生じている。

According to the outline, pension benefits will be lowered in stages to a level considered appropriate over three years, starting in October 2012.
　骨子では、来年１０月から３年かけて、年金額を本来の水準まで段階的に引き下げるとした。

To be exact, the planned adjustment of pension payouts should not be referred to as "reducing" pension benefits, but just returning benefits to a right and proper level.
　だが、これは正確には給付減ではなく、過払い分を適正額に戻すに過ぎない。

The outline also covers a wide range of measures for improving social security plans, such as an additional basic pension payment to elderly people in low income brackets and greater government support for child rearing. It rightly says many of these steps will be put into force "from the fiscal year when the consumption tax rate is raised."
　骨子はまた、低所得の高齢者に基礎年金を加算することや、子育て支援策の充実については、多くに「消費税率引き上げ年度から実施する」と条件を付けた。

No policy measure can be implemented without securing a source of revenue to fund it.
　財源の手当てなしに施策は実行できない。

Changing the social security system and raising the consumption tax are inseparably intertwined, and the DPJ and the government are urged to specify without delay when and by how much the 5 percent consumption tax will be hiked.
社会保障制度の手直しと消費税率引き上げは不可分であり、間を置かず、引き上げ幅と時期も明確に示すのが筋だろう。

The problem, however, is that the outline, while mentioning an array of measures to boost social security services, hardly refers to reforms that would require a greater burden on the public and cuts in benefits.
　問題は、拡充策が並ぶ一方で、負担増・給付減を求める改革がほとんど見当たらないことだ。

Regarding the current medical care system for people aged 70 to 74--under which they pay 10 percent of their overall medical bills from their own pocket at medical facilities--the plan to raise the percentage to the originally intended 20 percent was shelved during discussions at the joint meeting.
　暫定的に１割に据え置かれている７０～７４歳の医療費窓口負担を本来の２割に戻す案は見送られた。

To keep the current practice unchanged, the government is poised to earmark 200 billion yen in a supplementary budget to keep the system going in fiscal 2012.
２０００億円の補正予算を組んで来年度も実施する。

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Strong resolve crucial

Also pigeonholed was a reform plan to collect 100 yen from outpatients every time they visit a medical facility to secure funds to lower the financial burden of those who must pay for costly medical treatment.
　医療費が高額になる人の負担軽減にあてる目的で、外来に１回かかるごとに１００円を徴収する改革案なども断念した。

In the draft the government and the ruling coalition parties mapped out in June for social security reform in tandem with taxation reform, it was envisioned that nearly 1.2 trillion yen in government spending would be trimmed through such steps as curbs on social security benefits. Meanwhile, revenues would be increased by about 2.7 trillion yen through a consumption tax hike.
　６月に政府・与党がまとめた一体改革案では、給付の抑制などで１・２兆円近く節約し、約２・７兆円を消費税率の引き上げで賄う計算になっていた。

It is highly doubtful whether the outline approved in the joint meeting of the DPJ panels is compatible with the June draft.
これと整合性がとれるのかどうか疑問だ。

It is hardly possible to make ends meet in social security services unless the DPJ and the government give priority to boosting the efficiency of the entire social security system by curbing benefits.
　制度を一層効率化し、給付を抑制する視点も持たなければ、帳尻は合わないだろう。

The government and the ruling coalition parties are scheduled to enter last-ditch discussions next week about the wisdom of raising the consumption tax.
　政府・与党は、来週から、消費税率引き上げの大詰めの議論に入る。

They must be candid enough to squarely seek the public's understanding of the need to accept greater burdens that are deemed essential.
国民に対して、必要な負担増はきちんと求める必要がある。

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and DPJ executives must have strong resolve in winning over opponents of a higher consumption tax, thus concluding the issue within the year as the prime minister has pledged.
　野田首相と民主党幹部は、断固とした姿勢で消費税増税への反対派を説得し、公約通り、年内に結論を出さねばならない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 17, 2011)
（2011年12月17日01時31分 読売新聞）