Tokyo’s “Painless Childbirth” Subsidy Faces Delays in Disbursement Due to “Applications Exceeding Expectations”

Translation =
It has been learned that Tokyo’s subsidy program for “painless childbirth” (epidural labor), operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, has received more applications than expected within the first six months since its launch, causing delays in payments.

Since October last year, Tokyo has been the first prefectural government in Japan to provide subsidies of up to 100,000 yen for “painless childbirth,” in which anesthesia is used to ease labor pain, when pregnant residents of Tokyo give birth at eligible medical institutions within the city.

Based on past surveys, the metropolitan government had expected around 9,500 subsidy applications during the first six months. However, interviews with the government revealed that from the start of the program through this March, 12,059 applications were submitted—far exceeding expectations.

At the same time, it was also revealed that only a little over 2,000 of those applications have actually received subsidy payments.

Of the roughly 5,000 applications submitted during the first three months, only about 2,000 had already been paid out, and delays are now affecting applications submitted afterward as well.

One reason for the delays is that many of the receipts and itemized statements required for the application process do not clearly indicate that “painless childbirth” was performed. More than 60% of submitted documents reportedly contain deficiencies.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government stated, “We are pleased if more people than expected are being encouraged to give birth using the method they desire,” while also saying that it plans to speed up payments by increasing staff and revising how review standards and required documents are communicated.

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