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Japan took a major step towards caring for the world's fastest ageing population in April with the introduction of an ambitious new nursing insurance scheme. Modelled on a similar set-up in Germany, the Nursing Care Insurance System makes elderly people more responsible for the costs of their care and encourages the private sector to enter the nursing market. The scheme is designed to lower the government's medical bill, which is rising at the rate of 1 trillion yen (US$ 9.5 billion) per annum, and to make up for a shortage of care-providers.
Each year, 100 000 people are forced to give up their jobs...