Japan, Where 1 in 3 Are Elderly, Faces Clinic Disappearance Crisis: Hospital and Clinic Closures Hit Record High in 2023 – Toyo Keizai Online

The fact that hospital and clinic bankruptcies, closures, and discontinuations reacheda record high in 2023indicates that the medical industry is facing a structural paradox where "patient demand exists, but operations cannot be sustained." Especially in a super-aged society where "one in three people are elderly," the disappearance of regional medical care providers signifies the collapse of regional infrastructure beyond the failure of individual institutions. The background includes the start of repayment for zero-interest loans, rising prices, and increased labor costs associated with the "2024 Problem," which are directly impacting medical operations governed by fixed prices.

From a medical M&A perspective, this "record high" figure suggests thatthe success of an "exit strategy before it's too late"is at a critical juncture. If consultations occur after operations have severely deteriorated, not only is securing a transfer price difficult, but finding a successor may become impossible. However, with patient demand currently high, early third-party succession is an extremely public-spirited strategy that connects the greatest asset – the existing patient base – to the next generation.

Clinic directors facing a lack of successors should concretize their options for continuation while their practice is still"an indispensable rare resource for the region."Strategic succession, rather than "survival by elimination" after competitors have closed, is the only path to protect both retirement funds and regional healthcare.