Japan gov't to cease COVID-19 treatment subsidies at end of March

So those money can be use for better use, for example child care, health, work life balance initiative or Japan defense?

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/16/japan/politics/japan-2024-defense-budget

Petty Japan at its finest! Treatments for covid should be fully covered by the government. This move will result in people dying because they can’t afford treatment. It will also increase the amount of cases for the same reason. Shame on you petty Japan!

LindsayToday  09:45 am JST

Petty Japan at its finest! Treatments for covid should be fully covered by the government. This move will result in people dying because they can’t afford treatmen

Who is dying? The median age is approaching 90, people die of old age all the time even before this corona-induced-madness. Nobody lives forever.

It's been facinating how Covid-19 is either more or less dangerous to people's health depending on the country you are in (or the media you read).

You would think the same disease would have the same worry and outcomes on issues and mortality (across comparable ages and healthiness) for all across the world.

But not really the case as has been shown or continues to show.

I wonder why not?

Facinating.

@ Lindsay

The at risk cohort is the elderly.

They are already finding the cost of living difficult and cut back on nutritional food.

Does the government are for this segment?

We all know the answer to that…

When paying 30 percent of expenses from April onwards, a person would have to pay more than 15,000 yen for a five-day course of Xocova tablets, which cost around 52,000 yen without subsidies.

Normally, 30% is not a bad co-pay as the full price for medical services is typically quite low compared to the US. (My 10% co-pay in the US resulted in a much higher out-of-pocket than my 30% co-pay out-of-pocket here for the same services. )

But, drugs were often cheaper in the US with insurance, or around the same price, at least for the ones I needed. And, OTC (non-prescription) drugs are much more expensive in Japan.

But, that Covid drug price is ridiculously high, and should be capped. At least seniors, who need it the most, have a lower co-pay. But, that still may too much for a segment of the population most vulnerable to serious illness from the disease.

Japan's LDP government hasn't been able to prevent Covid19 deaths yet, still caused tens thousands victim whenever Covid19 surge wave.

But, they dislike spending taxpayers money to defend the lives of citizen, downgraded virus last May, pretended as if Covid19 ended or weakenized.

Announcement about Covid19 cases or deaths virtually vanished from major media, caution to Covid19 lost from society unscientifically, socially ignored virus-surge have repeated tragedy at elderly facilities or hospitals.

They prioritize arms race than the lives of citizen as same as somewhere dictatorship, continue to kill innumerable social vulnerables including my family.

Sad news. People will die now not affording to pay for medical treatments that otherwise would have been within reach...

Japan relay doesn't care for its own citizens...

First time Japanese government ever dropped subsidies?

First time Japanese government ever dropped subsidies?

That's a truly silly question. Of course not.