病院経営、人件費増で赤字　診療報酬改定に影響―厚労省調査

　厚生労働省は１３日、医療機関の経営状況を調べた医療経済実態調査の結果を公表した。精神科病院を除く一般病院の利益率（収入に対する利益の割合）は２０１８年度でマイナス２．７％の赤字だった。１７年度と比べると０．３ポイント改善したものの、医療従事者数の増加により人件費が膨らみ、経営に影響を与えていることが浮き彫りとなった。
　調査結果は同日の中央社会保険医療協議会（中医協）に提出。医療サービスや薬の公定価格である診療報酬の２０年度改定に当たって、基礎資料となる。
　日本医師会などからは、診療報酬のうち、医師の人件費などに充てる「本体部分」の引き上げ論が高まっている。厚労省は本体部分を引き上げつつ、薬剤費などの「薬価部分」を下げ、全体でマイナス改定としたい考え。年末に向けて財務省と調整を進める。（2019/11/13-09:22）

The profit margin at hospitals in Japan, excluding psychiatric institutions, came to minus 2.7 pct on average in fiscal 2018 as labor costs ballooned reflecting an increase in medical workers, a health ministry survey showed Wednesday.
   Still, the reading for the year that ended last March marked an improvement of 0.3 percentage point from fiscal 2017, according to the Survey on Economic Conditions in Health Care. The profit margin represents gross profit divided by revenue.
   The survey results, submitted to the Central Social Insurance Medical Council, which advises the health minister, the same day, will be used as basic data for a fiscal 2020 revision of medical fees including prescription drug prices under health insurance programs.
   The Japan Medical Association and other organizations are increasingly calling for a hike in fees paid to cover labor costs for doctors and other expenses. The ministry is considering offsetting a possible hike in such fees with a cut in drug prices in order to bring down the overall amount paid to hospitals and clinics. It will hold negotiations with the Finance Ministry for agreement toward the end of this year.
   The ministry survey showed that private hospitals logged a positive profit margin of 2.8 pct on average in fiscal 2018. On the other hand, the rates at national and other public hospitals went deeper into negative territory, standing at minus 2.3 pct and 13.2 pct, respectively.