Photo/Illutration Kazuma Tashiro, a doctor at Hinata Zaitaku Clinic Sanno, examines a COVID-19 patient in Tokyo’s Ota Ward on Jan. 11, 2023. (Ryujiro Komatsu)

Starting in April, COVID-19 patients will have to pay 10 to 30 percent of medical care and drug expenses out of pocket.

Health minister Keizo Takemi announced on March 5 that the central government will stop providing public financial support for COVID-19 treatment and medical institutions at the end of March.

In April, all COVID-19 treatment will be shifted to the regular medical care system. This means that patients will be asked to pay 10 to 30 percent of treatment costs at the counter, the same as with any other illness.

“There is no problem with transitioning to a normal medical care system as planned,” Takemi said at a news conference. 

Currently, patients pay 3,000 yen ($60) to 9,000 yen for COVID-19 medications, depending on their respective health insurance rates. These drugs are not cheap, costing 50,000 yen or more.

Starting in April, patients will start paying 10 to 30 percent of the cost.

COVID-19 patients can also currently receive up to 10,000 yen a month in subsidies for hospital medical expenses--on top of the amount covered by the existing high-cost medical expense benefit.

This subsidy will also be eliminated.

In addition, government financial support for medical institutions, such as subsidizing fees for hospital beds specifically for COVID-19 patients and special exceptions on reimbursement, will be terminated.

Because COVID-19 was downgraded to the less-severe Category 5 under the Infectious Disease Control Law in May last year, the government started reducing its public financial support for COVID-19 treatment in October.

This was done to transition COVID-19 treatment to the normal medical care system.

Takemi said at the news conference on March 5, “We have been working to establish a system to accept coronavirus patients in general hospital beds.” 

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