Initial Consultation Fee Increased by 190 Yen, Medical Fee Schedule Revision on June 1st; Cancellation Fees Now Collectible – Nikkei

News Highlights

Effective June 1st, a revision to the medical fee schedule will be implemented, increasing the initial consultation fee by 190 yen. Furthermore, the collection of fees for appointment cancellations will become permissible. This revision may impact the revenue structure of medical institutions. The news highlights suggest M&A and business succession considerations such as preparing for the revision, economies of scale, and utilizing tax schemes.

M&A Medical Editorial Department’s Perspective

This medical fee schedule revision, particularly the 190 yen increase in the initial consultation fee and the allowance of cancellation fee collection, compels many medical institutions, especially the経営者 (keieisha – managers/operators) of community-based clinics, to re-examine their revenue structures. For instance, if a clinic has an average of 500 initial consultations per month, this alone could lead to an additional revenue of approximately 95,000 yen monthly. However, regarding the collection of cancellation fees, balancing this with patient satisfaction is crucial. In addition to such individual revenue improvement measures, from a medium to long-term perspective, the importance of business succession planning that considers the revision cycle is increasing. In particular, group formation aimed at maintaining facility standards and distributing the burden of capital investment can be an effective option for enjoying economies of scale. Considering the transition to specific medical corporations or social medical corporations, examining tax schemes will also be key to enhancing the feasibility of business succession.

Points Indicated by This News

• The 190 yen increase in the initial consultation fee has the potential to directly improve the revenue of small clinics.
• The allowance of cancellation fee collection requires careful monitoring of its impact on service quality while encouraging changes in patient behavior.
• Early review of business succession plans, aligned with the medical fee schedule revision cycle, is essential.
• Pursuing economies of scale through group formation is effective for maintaining facility standards and reducing the burden of capital investment.

Practical Questions Arising from This News

• To what extent is the 190 yen increase in the initial consultation fee expected to affect patient attrition?
• When collecting appointment cancellation fees, what are appropriate methods for notifying patients and setting collection rules?
• Based on this revision, what specific advice is needed on how to revise our clinic’s business succession plan?

If You Feel “Should I Consult Too?”

The 190 yen increase in the initial consultation fee due to this medical fee schedule revision directly impacts daily revenue. In particular, the fact that cancellation fees can now be collected provides an opportunity to reconsider how patient interactions are handled. It is an opportune time to consider consulting with experts to accurately grasp the impact of these changes based on your clinic’s financial situation and patient demographics, and to explore future options including business succession or M&A.

M&A Medical (CentralMedience Inc.) supports the business succession of medical corporations, hospitals, and clinics on a completely success-fee basis as an M&A support institution certified by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. Consultations are accepted with strict confidentiality. Free consultation here