[Prediction on the medical care system for the aged people in the new century]

Japan has become the country with the longest life expectancy in the world in about 25 years. Among many factors for this success, the medical care system, including the health insurance for everyone, played the important role, which has been evaluated as the best in the world. However, since the national economy in Japan has become recently suppressed it has become one of the big political problems to keep this system as same as before. In addition, the medical expenses for the elderly and aged people is now as high as 40% of all. In this meaning, we should create the better system by ourselves, based on ethical criteria, harmonized with the progress of medicine. In April of 2000, the new long term care system was introduced aiming the self independence of aged people. Now, the medical and long term care system has become unified into one toward the ideal society in the future. In this paper, the ideal medical care system, especially for the aged people was discussed. Needless to say, the medical care system should have widely view to the future. The progress of medicine, high technology and health promotion will play very important parts to create the ideal society in future. If any geriatric diseases including senile dementia will be settled in near future, the medical care system for the aged will change completely. In addition, the nationwide campaign of health promotion will induce excellent results. Thus the society in the future will become much brighter and happier. In this meaning, health promotion, medical care, and welfare systems should be unified into one system. The expenses for these systems should be regarded as the investments expecting the huge profit in health and happiness in the future.