Medium-to-Long-Term Changes in Long-Term Care Insurance Expenditure in Katsurao Village After the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

This study analyzed medium-to-long-term trends in long-term care insurance expenditures in Katsurao Village, which underwent complete evacuation following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, to elucidate the disaster's impact on care needs. Long-term care insurance expenditure data of Katsurao Village from 2010 to 2023 were analyzed. Per capita long-term care expenditure was calculated by dividing the total long-term care insurance benefits by the population aged ≥65 years and compared to national averages. In 2016, when evacuation orders were largely lifted, per capita long-term care insurance expenditure reached JPY 562,970, approximately three times pre-disaster levels (JPY 197,461 in 2010). Although expenditures gradually decreased thereafter, they remained high at JPY 415,884 in 2023. Evacuation due to nuclear disaster leads to sustained increases in long-term care burden.