Abstract
There is an urgent need for Japan to ensure the future sustainability of its social security system. Amid the increasing financial burden of medical care, pensions and social welfare due to the rapidly declining birthrate and aging population, a comprehensive reform of the social security and tax system was decided by the Cabinet in February 2012. Six months later, related laws including a raise in the consumption tax as a stable source of revenue for social security were approved.
The Japan Revitalization and Growth Strategy, launched by the Abe Administration in 2013, contains three action plans. One of these is the Strategic Market Creation Plan, comprising four themes one of which is prolonging the nation’s healthy life expectancy, creating a society where people can live a healthy life as they grow old, by enhancing preventive care services and health management.
The Japan Revitalization Strategy also requires all health insurance organizations to analyze data such as health insurance claims and health check-ups to develop a project program called “Data Health Plan to Maintain and Improve the Health of Subscribers based on Analysis”. However, many medical insurers are suffering financial problems due to the heavy contributions to the medical care system for the elderly and have been forced to cut their staff.
Under these conditions, health check-up facilities with much experience of health screening and guidance are expected to play an important role as described in the guideline for the Data Health Plan released jointly by the Ministry Health, Labour and Welfare and the National Federation of Health Insurance Societies.
