Problems of integration of medical care and welfare service: medical treatment under long‐term insurance system

Abstract

AbstractThe advent of the long‐term care insurance system has brought substantial structural change not only in the social welfare field but also to the medical care system. Long‐term care insurance has also been introduced into the geriatric hospital system to reduce medical care insurance expenditure. As a result, in cases of emergency involving people under long‐term care, adequate medical care can not be expected because of a shortage of medical treatment wards for the aged. At a sanatorium‐type hospital, the upper limit of the insurance payment is decided by the care degree required by the patient. So from the standpoint of the hospital management, it is necessary to admit patients requiring more severe degrees of care to a sanatorium‐type hospital. It has become difficult to hospitalize dementia patients requiring care degrees 1 or 2. Under the long‐term care insurance system, the problem of medical treatment for the aged becomes all the more serious.