医療費、過去最高の４７兆円超　２３年度、コロナ影響は緩和―厚労省

　厚生労働省は３日、２０２３年度に病気やけがの治療で医療機関に支払われた概算の医療費（速報値）が前年度比２．９％増の４７兆３０００億円だったと発表した。高齢化や医療技術の高度化により過去最高を更新した。増加は３年連続。
　新型コロナウイルスの感染症法上の位置付けが２３年５月に「５類」に引き下げられたため、医療費への影響は前年度より緩和された。（2024/09/03-16:11）

Medical fees paid to hospitals and clinics in Japan in fiscal 2023 grew 2.9 pct from the previous year to a record high of about 47.3 trillion yen, preliminary health ministry data showed Tuesday.
   The third straight annual rise reflected the country's aging population and the increased use of advanced medical equipment and technologies.
   The data covered payments from health insurance programs, public money used and medical expenses shouldered by patients themselves, but not costs fully borne by patients and those covered by the worker compensation system. The reported amount made up roughly 98 pct of the entire medical expenses in the country.
   Medical fees paid for hospitalization climbed 3.1 pct to 18.7 trillion yen, and those for other forms of treatment, such as for outpatients and house calls, went up 1.0 pct to 16.4 trillion yen. Costs to dispense drugs increased 5.4 pct to 8.3 trillion yen, and those to treat dental patients expanded 1.9 pct to 3.3 trillion yen.
   In the fiscal year to last March, medical costs related to the novel coronavirus nearly halved to some 440 billion yen as COVID-19 was downgraded to a lower-risk category under the infectious disease law in May 2023.