2026 Fiscal Year Reimbursement Increase Seen as Opportunity for “Improving Quality of Care” – Japan Association of Chronic Care Medicine Chairman Hashimoto

Towards the positive medical fee revision for FY2026, the "improvement of quality of care" advocated by Chairman Hashimoto of the Japan Association of Chronic Care Medicine is not merely a slogan, butsuggests that the "entry barrier" for future additional reimbursements will be significantly raised.In the field of medical M&A, financial stability has been prioritized until now, but in the future,"whether there are investment resources and organizational strength capable of responding to quality improvements"will be the decisive factor influencing the transfer price and the feasibility of the transaction.

For medical institutions, particularly those providing chronic care, the preparation period until FY2026 is a critical juncture: whether to aim for survival independently or to benefit from economies of scale through group affiliation. Amidst increasing requirements for facility standards, advanced rehabilitation provision systems, and DX investment, it is essential for corporations facing a lack of successors to match with a successor that can meet the latest medical needs to fully benefit from the "positive revision."

Management should calmly analyze whether their institution's functions meet the standards that will be evaluated as "quality" in the next revision. If investment capacity is insufficient, it may be too late to act after the revision details are finalized.Now, with the foreseeable "tailwind of a positive revision," restructuring towards a robust management foundation that ensures future qualityis the best business succession strategy.