Asahi: More Maternity support planned
The government is looking into providing extra financial support for childbirth in the fiscal 2009 budget to help lift the sagging birthrate, health minister Yoichi Masuzoe said Friday. The proposal includes funding for up to 14 prenatal checkups, costing 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen per visit, and the entire cost of the labor and delivery of about 400,000 yen on average, Masuzoe said. The additional cost of the prenatal checkups would be about 84 billion yen, based on about 1.1 million babies born annually. The government currently pays for up to five prenatal checkups.
