TOKYO - The Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s subsidy program for “painless childbirth” has received far more applications than expected within its first six months, leading to significant delays in payments, it was revealed on May 14th.
Since October last year, Tokyo has been offering subsidies of up to 100,000 yen for epidural-assisted childbirth procedures performed at designated medical institutions within the capital for pregnant women residing in Tokyo, marking the first such initiative by a Japanese prefectural government.
Based on previous surveys, the metropolitan government had estimated that around 9,500 applications would be submitted during the first six months of the program. However, interviews with Tokyo officials revealed that 12,059 applications had been received by the end of March this year, greatly exceeding expectations.
Despite the high number of applications, only slightly more than 2,000 subsidies have actually been paid out so far.
Of the roughly 5,000 applications submitted during the first three months alone, only about 2,000 had been processed and paid, with delays continuing to affect later applications as well.
One major reason for the slowdown is that many submitted receipts and billing statements fail to clearly indicate that epidural childbirth services were provided. Officials said more than 60% of submitted documents contain deficiencies or missing information.
Tokyo officials said they are pleased if the program has encouraged more women to choose their preferred childbirth method, but acknowledged the growing backlog. The metropolitan government added that it is increasing staffing levels while reviewing screening standards and improving guidance on required documentation in an effort to speed up payments.
Source: TBS
