Changes in the Healthcare Market Driven by the 2025 Model and Community-Based Integrated Care

「In addition to the 2025 problem, a turning point caused by the growth of the elderly population resulting from advances in medical technology and other factors, concerns remain that pressure on the healthcare system will continue intermittently due to wage increases for healthcare professionals and the work-style reforms for physicians implemented since the year before last. Healthcare institutions are therefore required to build an efficient healthcare delivery system by promoting healthcare DX, including online consultations and the application of AI to medicine.」

「The environment surrounding the Group during the current interim consolidated accounting period remains subject to concern over intermittent strain on the healthcare system. In addition to the 2025 problem, a turning point associated with the increase in the elderly population resulting from advances in medical technology and other factors, this strain reflects higher wages for healthcare workers and physician work-style reform, which has been implemented since the year before last. Medical institutions are required to establish an efficient healthcare delivery system by promoting healthcare DX, including online medical consultations and the application of AI to healthcare.」

「The latest revision of medical service fees requires medical institutions to raise healthcare workers’ wages, respond to physician work-style reform, and promote healthcare DX, making the establishment of an effective and efficient healthcare delivery system a key issue.」

「At present, with physician work-style reform having taken effect, medical institutions are expected to face difficult conditions, as further improvements in operational efficiency will be required alongside the maintenance and enhancement of healthcare quality despite constraints such as labor shortages and rising prices.」

「Meanwhile, infection-control costs at medical institutions, which have increased as a result of the spread of this infection, will continue to place pressure on their management. As government support related to this infection is also being reduced, the Company recognizes that healthcare management conditions will become increasingly difficult.」

「Meanwhile, infection-control costs at medical institutions, which have increased as a result of the spread of this infection, will continue to place pressure on their management. As government support for infection-control measures is also expected to be reduced, the Company recognizes that healthcare management conditions will become increasingly difficult.」

「Meanwhile, infection-control costs at medical institutions, which have increased as a result of the spread of this infection, will continue to place pressure on their management. As government support for infection-control measures is also expected to be reduced, the Company recognizes that healthcare management conditions will become increasingly difficult.」

「Each prefecture is formulating a regional healthcare vision that estimates healthcare demand in 2025 and the required number of hospital beds for each healthcare function, and includes measures to realize a healthcare delivery system suited to local circumstances. The prefectures are promoting the differentiation and coordination of four healthcare functions: highly acute, acute, rehabilitation, and chronic care.」

「Although conditions in the healthcare industry are improving compared with last year, the prolonged effects of reduced patient visits and postponed non-urgent surgeries, particularly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, have left inpatient and outpatient numbers still below pre-pandemic levels and are affecting the management of medical institutions.」

「As the number of new infections nationwide and the numbers of hospitalized and severely ill patients continue to increase, the burden on healthcare workers has become chronic. Accordingly, transfers from medical institutions treating COVID-19 patients and stronger coordination with supporting medical institutions are required based on patients’ symptoms. Medical institutions are facing increasingly difficult management conditions due to declines in outpatient numbers and the postponement of non-urgent surgeries. As cases have been reported of patients whose conditions worsened because they refrained from seeking medical care, a system is needed that enables patients to receive appropriate care through a combination of primary care physicians, online medical consultations, and other methods.」

「Medical institutions are facing increasingly difficult management conditions due to declines in outpatient numbers and the postponement of non-urgent surgeries. As cases have been reported of patients whose conditions worsened because they refrained from seeking medical care, a system is needed that enables patients to receive appropriate care through a combination of primary care physicians, online medical consultations, and other methods.」

「In the healthcare industry, although the government has raised medical service fees for hospitals accepting COVID-19 patients and expanded grants and loan programs as part of efforts to strengthen the healthcare delivery system, the effects of reduced patient visits and postponed non-urgent surgeries have continued for an extended period at medical institutions, and management conditions remain difficult. As cases have been reported of patients whose conditions worsened because they interrupted treatment or medication, the government’s policies also include promoting the spread of online medical consultations, with efforts proceeding alongside the development of a primary care physician system.」

「Medical institutions have been forced to establish and strengthen infection prevention measures to treat COVID-19 patients, while reduced patient visits and the postponement of non-urgent surgeries have had a significant impact on healthcare management,」

「In the healthcare industry, healthcare and long-term care needs are expected to increase rapidly toward 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older, and efforts are underway to realize regional healthcare visions in order to establish a system for delivering healthcare and long-term care services more effectively and efficiently. At the same time, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has introduced measures such as physician work-style reform and the elimination of regional disparities in the distribution of physicians. While the entire industry is being required to respond, medical institutions are working day and night to address the spread of COVID-19 that has occurred.」

「At the same time, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has introduced measures such as physician work-style reform and the elimination of regional disparities in the distribution of physicians, requiring the entire industry to respond. As policy measures such as revisions to medical service fees and increases in the consumption tax are expected to have a severe impact on the management of medical institutions, each institution continues to be required to respond to changes in its business environment.」

「At the same time, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has introduced measures such as physician work-style reform and the elimination of regional disparities in the distribution of physicians, requiring the entire industry to respond. As policy measures such as revisions to medical service fees and increases in the consumption tax are expected to have a severe impact on the management of medical institutions, each institution continues to be required to respond to changes in its business environment.」

「The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is promoting the differentiation of hospital functions and the development of a comprehensive regional support and service delivery system, or community-based integrated care system, by 2025, with the aim of preserving the dignity of older people and supporting independent living and enabling them to continue living in the way they choose in familiar communities through the end of their lives.」

「The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is promoting the differentiation of hospital functions and the development of a comprehensive regional support and service delivery system, or community-based integrated care system, by 2025, with the aim of preserving the dignity of older people and supporting independent living and enabling them to continue living in the way they choose in familiar communities through the end of their lives.」

「The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is promoting the differentiation of hospital functions and the development of a comprehensive regional support and service delivery system, or community-based integrated care system, by 2025, with the aim of preserving the dignity of older people and supporting independent living and enabling them to continue living in the way they choose in familiar communities through the end of their lives.」

「In the healthcare industry, work is underway to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system, including a community-based integrated care system, in order to respond to changes in the healthcare environment toward 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older.」

「In the healthcare industry, against a backdrop of continuously rising national medical expenditures, work is underway to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system, including a community-based integrated care system, in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older, in order to respond to changes in the healthcare environment.」

「In the healthcare industry, against a backdrop of continuously rising national medical expenditures, work is underway to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system, including a community-based integrated care system, in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older. In the next healthcare plan, whose formulation will begin in 2018, each prefecture is expected to hold specific discussions to ensure consistency among measures such as establishing healthcare delivery systems suited to future demand in each region and coordinating healthcare and long-term care.」

「In the healthcare industry, against a backdrop of continuously rising national medical expenditures, work is underway to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system, including a community-based integrated care system, in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older. In the next healthcare plan, whose formulation will begin in 2018, each prefecture is expected to hold specific discussions to ensure consistency among measures such as establishing healthcare delivery systems suited to future demand in each region and coordinating healthcare and long-term care.」

「By 2025, the national estimate calls for more than 200,000 hospital beds to be shifted from highly acute and acute care, which have high treatment intensity, to rehabilitation care, while chronic care beds are expected to decrease by 70,000 through the promotion of home healthcare and other services, including nursing care facilities. Going forward, specific discussions are expected to be held in the next healthcare plan, whose formulation will begin in 2018, to ensure consistency among measures concerning the implementation of regional healthcare visions and coordination between healthcare and long-term care.」

「In the healthcare industry, each prefecture is expected to complete its regional healthcare vision under the revised Medical Care Act during this fiscal year in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older, and to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system and promote community-based integrated care. Going forward, regional healthcare vision coordination councils are expected to consider specific measures, including enhanced home healthcare and seamless coordination between healthcare and long-term care.」

「In the healthcare industry, each prefecture is developing a regional healthcare vision under the revised Medical Care Act to establish an efficient, high-quality healthcare delivery system and promote community-based integrated care in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older. Development is expected to be completed in all prefectures by the end of this fiscal year. Prefectures that have completed their plans are publishing their contents, while specific measures tailored to local circumstances are expected to continue to be considered through councils and other organizations established in each region, including measures to enhance home healthcare and ensure seamless coordination between healthcare and long-term care, which are common issues across local governments.」

「In the healthcare industry, the FY2016 revision of medical service fees called for the promotion of community-based integrated care systems, the differentiation and enhancement of healthcare functions, and improvements in coordination among providers. Government-led study groups are discussing how to make institutional adjustments to the number of hospital beds required in light of future healthcare demand. Since last year, each prefecture has been developing a regional healthcare vision to establish a healthcare delivery system in preparation for 2025, when the baby-boom generation will be aged 75 or older, and development is expected to be completed in all prefectures by the end of this fiscal year.」

「As a result, a healthcare function reorganization plan known as the “2025 Model” (Note) is expected to be implemented, which will contain increases in medical expenses. The Group will take appropriate and timely measures in response to such healthcare reforms, but its sales and earnings may fluctuate.」