This Act comes into effect on October 1, 2002; provided, however, that the provisions of Article 3 adding one Article after Article 79-2 of the Act on Health and Medical Services for the Elderly come into effect on the date of promulgation, the provisions of Articles 2, 5 and 8, and Articles 6 through 8, 33, 34, 39, 41 and 48, Article 49, paragraph (3), Article 51, Article 52, paragraph (3) and Articles 54, 67, 69, 71, 73 and 77 of the Supplementary Provisions come into effect on April 1, 2003, and the provisions of Article 61-2 of the Supplementary Provisions come into effect on the date on which the provisions of Article 15 of the Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts for the Enforcement of the Act on the Use of Information and Communications Technology in Administrative Procedures, etc. (Act No. 152 of 2002) come into effect or the date on which this Act comes into effect, whichever is later.

①The proportion of benefits pertaining to the medical care of insured persons and dependents prescribed in the Medical Insurance Acts is to be maintained at 70 percent into the future.

②In order to ensure the stable operation of the medical insurance system into the future, the government is to formulate, within fiscal year 2002, a basic policy that clarifies the specific content, procedures and annual plan for the following matters. The government is to take required measures based on that basic policy as promptly as possible (for the matter set forth in item (ii), with a target of about two years).

③The government is to clarify the specific content, procedures and annual plan for the following matters, and take required measures, with a target of about two years.

④The government is to clarify the specific content, procedures and annual plan for the following matters, and take required measures, with a target of about three years.

⑤The government is to review the health insurance services administered by the government and the organizational form of those services, with a target of about five years, and take required measures based on the results.

⑥The government is to review the following matters and take required measures based on the results.

⑦The government is to promptly commence review of the matters prescribed in paragraph (2) through the preceding paragraph, reach conclusions, and implement them in sequence.

For a person aged 70 or more on the day before the Effective Date (excluding a person aged 75 or more on the Effective Date), the person is deemed to be a person aged 75 or more and the provisions of the Act on Health and Medical Services for the Elderly as amended by the provisions of Article 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "New Elderly Health Act") (excluding the provisions of Article 25, paragraph (1), item (ii) of the New Elderly Health Act) apply, during the period from the Effective Date until the last day of the month that includes the day on which the person comes to fall under a person aged 75 or more (if the day on which the person comes to fall under a person aged 75 or more is the first day of a month, the day before that day).

With regard to the payment of medical expenses or high-cost medical expenses under the provisions of the Act on Health and Medical Services for the Elderly before amendment by the provisions of Article 3 (hereinafter referred to as the "Former Elderly Health Act") pertaining to medical care, provision of drugs, or medical treatment provided before the Effective Date, the provisions then in force continue to govern.

The provisions of Article 48 through Article 50 of the New Elderly Health Act apply to the expenses required for medical care (including payment of medical expenses), payment of dietary treatment expenses for inpatients (including payment of medical expenses), payment of specified medical expenses (including payment of medical expenses), payment of medical expenses for home-nursing for the elderly, payment of transport expenses and payment of high-cost medical expenses (hereinafter collectively referred to as "medical care, etc.") under the provisions of the New Elderly Health Act provided on or after the Effective Date, and to the expenses required for the execution of affairs concerning those services, and with regard to the expenses required for medical care, etc. under the provisions of the Former Elderly Health Act provided before the Effective Date and the expenses required for the execution of affairs concerning those services, the provisions then in force continue to govern.

With regard to the estimated medical expense contributions and fixed medical expense contributions for fiscal year 2001 or earlier fiscal years, the provisions then in force continue to govern.