「年収２００万円以上」で合意　高齢者医療費２割負担―自公党首、歩み寄る

　菅義偉首相（自民党総裁）は９日夜、公明党の山口那津男代表と東京都内のホテルで会談し、７５歳以上の医療費負担の引き上げについて、対象となる高齢者の範囲を「年収２００万円以上」とすることで合意した。１５日の閣議決定を目指し、両党の政調会長間で詰めの調整を行う。
　政府は２０２２年度から後期高齢者の医療費窓口負担を１割から２割にする方針。対象者について、首相は「年収１７０万円以上」を主張。公明党は首相案では対象が広過ぎるとして「年収２４０万円以上」を訴え、調整が難航していた。
　自公両党は衆院広島３区の候補擁立をめぐっても対立。双方で感情的なわだかまりが積み重なっている状態で、首相と山口氏は早期に収拾する必要があると判断した。実施時期は、公明党が求めた２２年夏の参院選後の同年１０月以降となる方向だ。
　「団塊の世代」が７５歳以上になり始める２２年度以降、医療費は急増が確実視される。現役並みの年収３８３万円以上の後期高齢者は３割を負担しているが、全体の７％にとどまる。政府は１割負担の人のうち一定所得以上を２割とする考えだ。
　「年収２００万円以上」とする場合、対象者は約３７０万人。厚生労働省が先にまとめた５通りの試算のうち、対象者の数は真ん中の３番目となる。約５２０万人が引き上げ対象だった首相の「１７０万円以上」案と比べ、負担増になる高齢者の数は絞り込まれ、現役世代の負担の増加を抑制する効果は薄まる。（2020/12/10-00:41）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and Natsuo Yamaguchi, head of Komeito, the LDP's coalition partner, agreed Wednesday to double out-of-pocket medical expenses to 20 pct for people aged 75 or over with annual income of 2 million yen or more.
   Policy chiefs of the two parties will discuss details, with the aim of making a cabinet decision on the matter on Tuesday. The government plans to raise out-of-pocket medical costs to 20 pct from 10 pct for people in the age group of 75 or over in fiscal 2022.
   Specifically, the increase is expected to be implemented in or after October 2022, after a triennial election for the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, in summer that year, as sought by Komeito, informed sources said.
   LDP-Komeito talks on the issue had been deadlocked. Suga had insisted that the annual income threshold be set at 1.7 million yen. On the other hand, Komeito had called for the line to be drawn at 2.4 million yen, claiming that Suga's proposal would raise the burden for too many people.
   Suga and Yamaguchi saw the need to end the row early because the two parties are also at odds in coordination work over whom to field in the No. 3 constituency in Hiroshima Prefecture, western Japan, in the next general election for the House of Representatives, the all-important lower chamber of the Diet, after Katsuyuki Kawai, who is now the Lower House member elected from the single-seat electoral district, left the LDP in June over his alleged violation of the public offices election law. Kawai is standing trial for suspected vote-buying for his wife, Anri, for the Upper House election in July 2019.