１３参院選 社会保障 負担増の論議は避けられない

The Yomiuri Shimbun July 11, 2013
Don’t shirk discussions on raising the elderly’s social security burden
１３参院選　社会保障　負担増の論議は避けられない（7月10日付・読売社説）

Amid a chronically low birthrate and rapidly aging population, Japan’s spending on social security, including pensions, medical care and nursing care, has been continuously increasing.
　少子高齢化が急速に進む中、年金、医療、介護などの社会保障費は増え続けている。

How can a sustainable social security system be built? This is an important issue in the upcoming House of Councillors election.
　持続可能な社会保障制度をどう築いていくか。参院選の重要な争点である。

The Liberal Democratic Party has unveiled policies to promote wider use of cheap generic drugs and prevent people from receiving treatment at more than one medical institution for the same disease or sickness. These policies show the LDP has a sense of urgency on this issue.
　自民党が、価格の安い後発医薬品の使用拡大や、複数の医療機関での重複診療抑制を打ち出したのは、危機感の表れと言えよう。

However, a glance at the campaign pledges of the political parties, including the LDP, reveals that they are hesitant to ask the public to pay more for their social security system.
　だが、自民を含め、各党の公約を見ると、国民に負担増を求めることには及び腰だ。

Elderly should pay more

For example, increasing the proportion of medical expenses that elderly people must pay out of their own pocket is one issue that needs to be addressed.
　例えば、高齢者医療の自己負担率を引き上げる問題である。

The Health Insurance Law and others stipulate that people aged 70 to 74 must pay 20 percent of their medical expenses when they are treated at a hospital. Despite this, government administrations since 2008 have capped this figure at 10 percent as a special measure, apparently for fear of sparking a backlash from the elderly if they increase it.
　健康保険法などは７０～７４歳の医療費の窓口負担を２割と定めている。それにもかかわらず、２００８年以降、歴代政権は特例措置として１割に抑えてきた。高齢者の反発を恐れてのことだろう。

We think this figure should be raised to 20 percent, as set by law, to curtail public spending.
　公費の支出削減のため、法定の２割への引き上げは必要だ。

However, the LDP, New Komeito and the Democratic Party of Japan do not mention this issue in their election pledges. The Japanese Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party oppose raising this figure.
　しかし、この問題について、自民、公明、民主各党は公約で言及していない。共産、社民両党は引き上げに反対している。

Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Norihisa Tamura expressed his intention to review the special measure at a press conference Tuesday, but he did not set any time frame for abolishing it.
　田村厚生労働相は９日の記者会見で、特例措置を見直す意向を示したものの、廃止する時期については言明しなかった。

How can snowballing medical spending be rolled back? How can financial resources to fund the medical care system be secured? We urge all parties to deepen discussions on these matters.
　医療費の増加をどう抑えるのか。財源をどう確保するのか。各党は議論を深めてもらいたい。

It is utterly irresponsible of the DPJ, the JCP and the SDP to insist on raising medical fees, which will inflate government spending on medical care, without explaining where the money to cover the cost will come from.
　民主、共産、社民各党が、財源を示さずに、医療費増大につながる診療報酬の引き上げを主張しているのは無責任に過ぎよう。

Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Restoration Party) has proposed benefits for the elderly be reduced to more reasonable levels. The proportion of medical bills people are required to pay at hospitals differs between age groups. Ishin no Kai has proposed that this proportion be set at a uniform rate, so people shoulder medical expenses commensurate with their income.
　日本維新の会は「高齢者向け給付の適正化」を提起している。年齢によって異なる現行の医療費の自己負担割合を一律にし、「所得に応じた負担」にする内容だ。

Ishin no Kai also calls for raising the eligibility age for pension benefits. These issues deserve to be discussed in detail.
　年金の支給開始年齢の引き上げもうたっている。いずれも検討すべき課題だろう。

Measures to deal with the low birthrate also are important.
　少子化対策も重要だ。

Help people have kids

The number of births in Japan fell to a record low of 1.037 million last year. A relentless decline in the number of people in the working generation that supports the elderly will imperil the very foundation of the nation’s social security system.
　わが国の出生数は昨年、過去最少の１０３万７０００人にとどまった。高齢者を支える現役世代の減少が続けば、社会保障制度の根幹を危うくする。

It is essential to create an environment in which more people can raise their children while continuing their careers. Amid public calls for eliminating the waiting lists for licensed day care centers, political parties are in step when it comes to improving child care services.
　働きながら子育てできる環境整備が欠かせない。待機児童の解消が求められる中、保育の充実では各党の足並みはそろっている。

The LDP touted that it will ensure child care facilities are capable of accepting 400,000 more children by the end of fiscal 2017. However, many problems need to be solved before this target can be achieved, including how to cooperate with local governments on this matter. The LDP must present specific steps for reaching this goal.
　自民党は、１７年度までに４０万人の保育の受け皿確保を掲げた。ただ、自治体とどう連携するかなど、懸案は多い。実現への具体策を示すことが大切である。

The nation’s budget for measures to deal with the low birthrate is small compared with those of the United States and European countries. It is necessary to correct the current social security benefit setup, which is generous for the elderly, but relatively light for working and child-raising generations.
　日本の少子化対策予算は、欧米に比べて少ない。高齢者に手厚く、現役・子育て世代に薄い社会保障給付を是正することが必要だ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, July 10, 2013)
（2013年7月10日01時52分  読売新聞）