Chairman Kim Directly Inspects Elderly and Disabled Medical Services in Welfare-Advanced Nordic Countries

Preparing for the Rapid Increase in Medical Expenses in an Aging Society
Examining Community Care at the Local Level
for the Early Establishment of the Community Integrated Care Project
"Major Renovation Projects Needed to Make Roads and Housing Elderly-Friendly"

Kim Yong-ik, President of the National Health Insurance Service (right), is listening to an explanation during a visit to the welfare technology experience center operated by the city of Bærum, Norway, last November.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kim Yong-ik, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), visited Denmark and Norway last November. During his trip, he observed the division of roles among central government, local governments, and centers in delivering welfare services for the elderly and disabled, and met with local officials and stakeholders to discuss how rehabilitation and home care services?areas lacking in Korea?are provided.

He directly examined how community care at the local level is conducted in countries recognized as welfare leaders, aiming to accelerate the establishment of Korea’s Community Integrated Care project. At first glance, such community-level welfare administration and health management may seem unrelated to the NHIS’s responsibilities for operating and managing health insurance.

However, as the society ages, the burden of medical expenses inevitably rises sharply, directly impacting insurance finances, which is why Chairman Kim is personally overseeing this area. Long-term care insurance for the elderly is financially more vulnerable compared to health insurance, and he believes it is necessary to operate it soundly and develop standardized service models. Chairman Kim stated, "While diversifying medical facilities, community care?which can be considered as 'zero-level' care beyond the existing primary to tertiary care?must be activated," adding, "There is a need for large-scale projects to renovate roads and housing to be elderly-friendly."

Concrete projects that include incentives for health management are also a focus this year. For example, providing incentives to individuals who effectively manage or improve personal health indicators such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight. He said, "We are also considering company-specific measures, such as reducing insurance premiums if employee health management reduces diseases or lowers NHIS expenditures," and added, "We are researching methods suitable for our circumstances."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.