Medical Fee Revision Starts Tomorrow: Increased Patient Burden for Initial/Follow

News Highlights

A revision to medical fees will be implemented starting May 31, 2026, leading to increased patient costs for initial and follow-up consultations, as well as hospital stays. This measure is in response to soaring prices and wage increases for healthcare professionals. For healthcare facility managers, it is crucial to formulate medium- to long-term management and succession strategies with an eye on the revision cycle, leverage the economies of scale by joining a group, and utilize tax schemes including transitions to specific medical corporations or social medical corporations.

M&A Medical Editorial Department’s Perspective

This medical fee revision aims to address the pressing issues faced by healthcare institutions – rising prices and wage increases – through hikes in fees for initial/follow-up consultations and hospital stays. However, it is essential to look beyond mere cost increases and grasp the fundamental goal of “building a sustainable healthcare delivery system” that underlies this revision. Particularly for small-scale medical institutions, it is presumed that cases where maintaining independent management becomes difficult will increase due to the burden of capital investment and challenges in securing personnel. In such circumstances, business integration through M&A or participation in a medical corporation group can be effective means to strengthen the management base by enjoying “economies of scale,” such as maintaining facility standards, dispersing the burden of investment in high-cost medical equipment, and sharing specialized personnel. Furthermore, considering tax schemes with an eye on transitioning to specific medical corporations or social medical corporations is an indispensable strategy when looking ahead to business succession.

Points Raised by This News

• The medical fee revision serves not only as a response to rising prices and wage hikes but also as an opportunity to question the sustainability of the healthcare delivery system.
• Small-scale medical institutions may face greater difficulty in independent management due to increased burdens of capital investment and personnel acquisition.
• M&A and group participation can lead to the creation of “economies of scale” such as maintaining facility standards and dispersing investment burdens.
• Consideration of tax schemes, including transitions to specific medical corporations and social medical corporations, is increasingly important in management and succession strategies.

Practical Questions Arising from This News

• To what extent will our clinic’s financial performance be specifically affected by this revision?
• If we join a group, to what extent can our management autonomy be maintained?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of transitioning to a specific medical corporation or similar entity?

If You Feel “Should I Consult Too?”

For healthcare facility managers who feel that the impact of the medical fee revision on their finances, and the management pressure from rising prices and wage increases are becoming severe, please take this as an opportunity to objectively re-examine the current status and future vision of your clinic or hospital. Options such as M&A, participation in a corporate group, and utilization of tax schemes may hold the key to achieving sustainable management and smooth business succession. Consulting with experts is the first step towards finding concrete solutions.

M&A Medical (CentralMedience Inc.) is an M&A support institution certified by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency, providing support for the business succession of medical corporations, hospitals, and clinics on a full success fee basis. Consultations are accepted with strict confidentiality. Free consultations are available here.