Title: Act on Partial Revision of the Long-Term Care Insurance Act, etc. for Strengthening Long-Term Care Service Infrastructures
Promulgation Date: June 22, 2011
Act No.: 72	Responsible Division: Long-term Care Insurance Planning Division, Health and Welfare Bureau for the Elderly
1. Purpose of the law
Various revisions shall take place in promoting measures to realize a “comprehensive community care system” in which medical care, long-term care, prevention, housing, and livelihood support services are provided in a seamless manner and in thereby enabling the elderly to live independent community lives.
2. Details of revision
(1) Enhanced cooperation between medical care and long-term care systems, etc.
[1] Promotion of comprehensive support for anyone requiring long-term care, etc. in cooperation between the medical care, long-term care, prevention, housing, and livelihood support services (comprehensive community care).
[2] Formulation of long-term care insurance business plans with consideration given to identification of local needs and issues in the respective daily living areas.
[3] Creation of 24 hour regular visit/on demand response services and compound services to take care of anyone requiring long-term care that lives alone or is considered to be a severe case.
[4] Enabling comprehensive implementation of prevention benefits based on the judgment of insurers and livelihood support services.
[5] Postponement of the abolition due date (the end of March 2012) for long-term nursing care beds. (No new designation shall be made)
(2) Securing long-term care human resources and improving the quality of services
[1] Enabling certified care workers and care workers with certain levels of education, etc. to implement sputum suction, etc.
[2] Postponement of review of methods used to acquire certified care worker qualifications (scheduled for implementation in April 2012).
[3] Strict observance of labour laws at long-term care business offices, and inclusion of violation of the Labour Standards Act, etc. in the disqualification/cancellation conditions with designated business offices.
[4] Review of the long-term care service information disclosure system, including abolishment of the obligation for conduct an investigation before disclosing any information.
(3) Development of housing for the elderly, etc.
[1] Inclusion of user protection provisions concerning repayment of any advance payment made at a fee-charging home for the elderly, etc.
* Promotion of the supply of housing for the elderly with care services in cooperation between the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (revision of the Act on Securement of Stable Supply of Elderly Persons' Housing)
(4) Promotion of measures against dementia
[1] Promotion of the protection of rights of elderly in municipalities, including the development and utilization of civil guardians.
[2] Inclusion of dementia support measures according to the actual situation of the region concerned in municipal long-term care insurance business plans.
(5) Promotion of voluntary efforts by insurers
[1] Securing harmonization between the long-term care insurance business plans and medical care service/housing plans.
[2] Enabling designation of community-based services through public invitation/selection.
(6) Alleviation of the increase in insurance premiums
[1] Reduction of prefectural fiscal stability funds used in reducing long-term care insurance premiums, etc.