Over 70% of health insurance associations whose members are employees of large Japanese companies and their families are projected to log deficits in fiscal 2026, the National Federation of Health Insurance Societies has said.
The combined balance at health insurance associations at all large member firms in the fiscal year that ends in March 2027 is forecast to result in a ?289 billion ($1.8 billion) deficit, due to increasing contributions to medical care for elderly people, the federation said Tuesday. The number of associations seen to face deficits stands at 1,010.
The estimates for all 1,364 associations societies were calculated based on data from 1,362 of them that responded to the federation＊s survey.
The amount of burden for child care benefits under a program introduced in fiscal 2026 as a measure to shore up the nation＊s sluggish birth rate is calculated at ?13,711 per person.
The health insurance premium and child support burdens are split equally between employers and employees.
Health insurance premium income in fiscal 2026 is expected to increase 3.8% from the previous year to ?9.62 trillion, thanks to wage hikes at many companies.
A total of 202 unions lowered their insurance premiums to take into consideration the increased burdens arising from the introduction of the child support program.
As a result, the average premium rate stands at 9.32%, down from 9.34% in fiscal 2025 and falling below the previous year＊s level for the first time since fiscal 2008, when the medical system for people age 75 or over was introduced in the country. The rate still remains high, however.
Contributions to medical treatment for the elderly are projected to climb 2.2% to ?3.98 trillion.
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