5 October 2016 - The Finance Ministry proposed Tuesday that elderly people bear more medical expenses depending on their incomes to ensure fair sharing of the country’s ballooning medical costs.

In its proposals presented at a meeting of the Fiscal System Council, an advisory panel to the finance minister, the ministry also called for lowering the standard price of an expensive new cancer drug.

The government aims to limit natural growth in social security costs stemming from the aging population to some ¥1.5 trillion over the three years from fiscal 2016, which started in April.

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