Not surprisingly, the most difficult of Abe’s three arrows is proving to be reform of the Japanese economy. This time its resistance to medical sector reforms from within Abe’s constituency, in this case Japan’s doctors:
The reform plans include changes to Japan’s universal health insurance system.
Says Reuters:
- On one side of the argument is the 165,000-member JMA and health ministry officials, who say they want to protect the cherished principle of universality in a system that has been the envy of much of the developed world.
- Lined up against them, and pushing Abe to go further, are advocates of more radical reform who accuse the small family doctors who make up the bulk of the JMA’s membership of wanting protection from competition from larger clinics and hospitals.
- The JMA also worries that Abe’s push for Tokyo to join the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact would give impetus to such changes if Washington pushes in negotiations for market-oriented reforms to healthcare
