Overview
- The House Health, Labour and Welfare Committee, which approved the amendment Friday, advanced the package with majority support from ruling parties and some opposition.
- A Lower House plenary vote is set for April 28, and reporting indicates the bill is likely to pass in the current Diet session.
- The bill adds a 25% patient charge to prescriptions judged similar to over‑the‑counter drugs, covering 77 ingredients across about 1,100 items such as loxoprofen and fexofenadine.
- The government aims to start the surcharge in March 2027, with exemption rules to be set after enactment and with cancer and intractable disease patients identified for relief.
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the overhaul will ease premium pressure on working‑age payers and stretch limited medical funds, and the package also makes childbirth free and tightens cost‑sharing for some people over 75.