Medical fees are scheduled to be revised in 2020, and the reimbursement price for insurance medical materials is also expected to be revised. As the downward pressure on the increase in medical costs due to the aging of the population continues for a long time, what is required for MEDIUS Holdings, whose business is to supply medical equipment, to grow sustainably? We talked to Mr. Yasuhiko Ikeya, the representative director.
The medical treatment fee is scheduled to be revised in April 2020. Negative revisions are expected for drug prices and reimbursement prices for medical materials, and the medical materials handled by the Group are also expected to be reduced. We expect that downward pressure on medical expenses such as medical fees, drug prices, and medical materials will continue for a long time, not transiently.
The background to this is the declining and aging population and changes in the disease structure. In an era with a large young population, there are many people with high activity, and the need for acute care such as emergency medical care increases relatively, but with the aging of the population, the need for medical care for chronic diseases such as lifestyle-related diseases continues to increase. increase. One elderly person often has multiple illnesses, requiring long-term medical care and resulting in higher medical costs. By 2025, about 7 million people will be in the late-stage elderly, and it is predicted that social security costs, including not only medical costs but also long-term care-related costs, will increase further.
On the other hand, the number of young people who actually support the medical insurance system is decreasing, and insurance finances are becoming more difficult year by year. The current universal health insurance system, which allows anyone to receive equal medical care at any time, may lead to the collapse of the system itself unless it is reviewed in line with the times.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is not doing anything, and in September last year, 424 public and public hospitals, which were judged to have poor medical records, were asked to consider reorganization including consolidation, and their real names were announced. did. It is expected that this will lead to the reorganization of hospital / bed functions and the reduction of beds. In the near future, we anticipate that there will be a review of the social security system, including the public medical insurance system.
Looking ahead to this future, it is necessary for the Group to consider how to act to support the medical field through the supply of medical equipment and materials.
We believe that the number of highly acute hospitals, which the Group is a major customer of, will decrease in the long run. However, the number of patients in need of advanced acute care will not decrease significantly and will be concentrated in specific hospitals. Therefore, it is even more important to strengthen the relationship of trust with hospitals that can provide the highly acute medical care required in the region. In the medical field, medical professionals are working hard to treat patients and bring them back to society. The direction of this vector is exactly the same as our group, which has the philosophy of contributing to the health of the people through the supply of medical equipment and the provision of the latest information.
I am convinced that embodying this attitude at the forefront of sales and accumulating it will lead to the sustainable and stable growth of the entire group. Of course, I know it's not easy. For example, if it is a new medical device that is more expensive than the conventional product but has a high therapeutic effect, the doctors and comedics that introduce it and our vector to sell are almost the same. On the other hand, purchasing expensive equipment can put pressure on hospital management. Hospitals that want to buy even a little cheaper and our vector that wants to secure profits do not intersect. Solution tools are important in making this trade-off. It is required to make rational and economical proposals suitable for each facility and ultimately contribute to patients.
Reimbursement prices for medical devices and materials may be centered around those that support cutting-edge treatment. Under these circumstances, in order to provide the best medical care in a stable manner, we need to work toward the realization of a “sustainable society”.
Therefore, we are starting new initiatives centered on the "Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)" common to the international community. Of the 17 goals, the goal of "health and welfare for all" is the very significance of the Group's existence.
Regarding the goal of "town development where people can continue to live", we will work on "contribution to community medicine" through MEDI-Message, etc., and in "responsibility to create and use", we will provide PB products that are particular about quality, mainly with the concept of infection prevention measures. By doing so, we are working to create a safe and secure environment for medical professionals and reduce the burden. You can see the detailed efforts of SDGs on our website. (Https://www.medius.co.jp/sdgs/)
By accumulating efforts to contribute to the medical environment, we will create a tomorrow's medical environment while maintaining a relationship of trust with each medical institution.
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