Japan's Hospitals to Introduce Cancellation Fees

May 26, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The Japanese government is set to provide summer electricity and gas subsidies worth about 5,000 yen per household as extreme heat is forecast for 2026, while medical costs are also set to rise from June as hospitals gain the ability to charge cancellation fees and increase initial consultation and hospitalization charges.

With temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some areas during the summer of 2026, the government plans to reduce household electricity and gas costs by around 5,000 yen for usage between July and September, when demand for air conditioning and other cooling appliances rises sharply.

Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said: "We have decided to allocate 513.5 billion yen from the fiscal 2026 reserve funds in order to provide support that will keep electricity and gas charges below last summer's levels from July through September."

However, some Finance Ministry officials have criticized the move, arguing that reserve funds are originally intended for emergencies such as natural disasters.

One senior official commented that rising utility costs during hotter summers and colder winters are predictable, adding that using reserve funds to cover them is inappropriate.

Subsidies for electricity and gas bills have become a recurring seasonal measure in both summer and winter over the past several years. Combined with subsidies for gasoline prices, the total fiscal burden has reached nearly 15 trillion yen, raising growing concerns over when the government plans to phase out the support programs.

Meanwhile, from June, medical institutions will also be allowed to charge cancellation fees for missed appointments.

At Kawanaka Dental Clinic in Tokyo, a new notice regarding the policy was posted on the wall on May 26th.

Source: TBS

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