National Plan) in October 2020. 5 Although progression of HF is a cause of rehospitalization, as the number of older patients increases, many socioeconomic weaknesses increase the risk of rehospitalization. 6 These problems cannot be addressed by medical interventions alone and require a multidisciplinary team-based approach.
Japanese Health and Care SystemsSince 1961, Japan has had a healthcare system with universal health coverage, which provides substantial benefits and the same quality of medical care to citizens of all income levels. 7 Low-income people who are disabled because of illness, poverty, or unemployment can receive free medical care through public assistance. Indeed, Nishimoto et al recently reported that patients with acute HF who receive public assistance had no significant excess risk for all-cause death 1 year after discharge compared with those who did not receive public assistance. 8 In addition, to medical insurance, the Japanese government initiated mandatory public long-term care insurance (LTCI) in 2000 to help older individuals live more indepen-H eart failure (HF) is now a global pandemic that has become more common with increasingly aged populations. The mortality rate associated with HF is high despite new and increasingly effective drugs and non-pharmacological therapies. 1 According to the Japanese Registry of All Cardiac and Vascular Diseases (JROAD) conducted by The Japanese Circulation Society (JCS), the annual number of patients hospitalized for HF has increased and the annual number of patients hospitalized for HF was 3.5-fold higher than that of patients hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction. 2 Therefore, a Japanese strategic roadmap for HF management is urgently required.In 2016, the JCS and the Japan Stroke Society jointly created a 5-year plan for overcoming stroke and cardiovascular disease, aiming to extend healthy life expectancy. HF is listed as 1 of the 3 major therapeutic targets. 3 The JCS/ Japanese Heart Failure Society (JHFS) provided a new, public definition of HF in 2017. 4 The Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease Control Act of Japanese national law was enacted in December 2019, and the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, Japan, published the Japanese National Plan for Promotion of Measures Against Cerebrovascular and Cardiovascular Disease (Japanese