Medical Fee Schedule Revised: Responding to Wage Increases for Healthcare Workers and Rising Prices; Initial Consultation Fee Up 57 Yen for 30% Co

News Highlights

The medical fee schedule will be revised on June 1, 2026, to address wage increases for healthcare institution staff and rising prices. For patients with a 30% co-payment, the initial consultation fee will increase by 57 yen. Additionally, flexibility in medical practice will be enhanced, with “Sleep Disorder” becoming usable as a department name. This revision suggests the importance of a medium- to long-term perspective, considering the revision cycle, for the management strategies and business succession of medical institutions.

M&A Medical Editorial Department’s Perspective

While the 57 yen increase in the initial consultation fee in this medical fee schedule revision may have a limited direct impact on management, the underlying reasons for the revision – “responding to wage increases for healthcare workers and rising prices” – concern the core of medical institution management. In particular, increased labor costs, if not accompanied by increased revenue, could put pressure on the profitability of individual medical institutions, especially small to medium-sized clinics and hospitals. M&A, which leverages the economies of scale through group formation to maintain facility standards and distribute the burden of capital investment, can be a powerful option to alleviate such management pressures. Furthermore, utilizing tax schemes such as transitioning to a Specified Medical Corporation or Social Medical Corporation, along with business succession, are important issues to consider when managing the risk of revenue fluctuations due to revisions.

Issues Highlighted by This News

• The revision of the medical fee schedule to address wage increases and rising prices makes the risk of profitability pressure due to increased labor costs apparent.
• It is highly likely that the 57 yen increase in the initial consultation fee will not be sufficient to cover rising labor costs.
• The benefits of group formation for maintaining facility standards and distributing capital investment burdens will become more important than ever.
• Tax schemes, including the transition to Specified Medical Corporations and Social Medical Corporations, may be key to stabilizing management.

Practical Questions Arising from This News

• To what extent can the 57 yen increase in the initial consultation fee cover rising labor costs?
• Can small clinics maintain their profitability with each revision of the medical fee schedule?
• What are the specific advantages and disadvantages of group formation and corporate status transition?

If You Feel “Should I Consult?”

Medical institution managers who are particularly concerned about responding to increased labor costs due to this medical fee schedule revision should consider consulting with experts about the benefits of scale through M&A and management stabilization utilizing tax schemes. If it is determined that maintaining profitability independently is difficult, considering business succession or group formation at an early stage may secure options under more favorable terms.

M&A Medical (CentralMedience Inc.) supports the business succession of medical corporations, hospitals, and clinics on a full success fee basis as a certified M&A support institution by the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency. We handle consultations with strict confidentiality. [Free consultation here](https://ma-med.net/contact/)