[MHLW] Intractable Diseases Covered by the Act on Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities - Study Group Meeting Held
On September 7, 2021, the 8th study group meeting on diseases covered by the Act on Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities (Comprehensive Support Act) was held online.
The main purpose of this study group is to examine which diseases should be covered by the Comprehensive Support Act. There are two laws to support people with intractable diseases in Japan: The Comprehensive Support Act and the Act on Medical Care for Patients with Intractable Diseases (Intractable Diseases Act). The two laws differ on whether a disease is covered by them in the following ways.
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Requirements for designation as an intractable disease In the Intractable Diseases Act |
Provision on the Comprehensive Support Act |
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(1) The mechanism of the disease is unknown. |
It is not a requirement. (However, diseases for which other policy systems have been established are also excluded from the diseases covered by the Comprehensive Support Act.) |
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(2) There is no established treatment for the disease. |
It is a requirement. |
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(3) The number of patients does not reach approximately 0.1% of the population. |
It is not a requirement. |
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(4) The disease requires long-term treatment. |
It is a requirement. |
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(5) Certain diagnostic criteria based on objective indicators have been established. |
It is a requirement. |
As a result of the review, the following six diseases were deemed appropriate to be newly covered by the Act on Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities.
- Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia 1 (homozygous)
- Autoimmune acquired coagulation factor X deficiency (※)
- Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis
- Nephronophthisis
- Cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome
- Homocystinuria
- However, autoimmune acquired coagulation factor X deficiency will be integrated into the disease (autoimmune acquired coagulation factor deficiency) covered by the Comprehensive Support Act.
As a result, the number of diseases covered by the Comprehensive Support Act will increase from the current 361 to 366 diseases.
The expansion is scheduled to come into effect in November 2021, after the revision of the public notice.
For more information, please visit the website below (Japanese).
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/shingi/other-syougai_254426.html
