Ministry of Health and Welfare Holds Academic Forum to Share Operational Outcomes of Community Integrated Care Pilot Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] The Ministry of Health and Welfare (Minister Park Neung-hoo) and the National Health Insurance Service (Chairman Kim Yong-ik) held the "Community Integrated Care Leading Project Operation Performance Sharing Symposium" on the 9th at the COEX Conference Room in Seoul, sponsored by 16 local governments leading the pilot projects, to spread the vision of integrated care.

Integrated care is a community-led social service policy that provides integrated housing, healthcare, nursing, and care services so that the elderly, disabled, and others can live in their usual places.

About 150 people attended the symposium, including Yang Sung-il, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Kim Yong-ik, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Service, officials from 16 local governments leading the pilot projects, and related experts.

In the morning, a storytelling performance was held under the theme "Experiences and Challenges of the Community Integrated Care Leading Project So Far," freely discussing local experiences and changes.

Panelists shared various stories about the necessity of the pilot projects, the government's efforts so far, the transition to a care system centered on beneficiaries, public-private cooperation, changes and improvements among residents after the pilot projects, and future challenges based on about one year of experience.

In the afternoon, Hyun-jin Jeong, Director of the Health Insurance Research Institute at the National Health Insurance Service, presented research results analyzing the operation status and user experiences of the pilot projects, and Director Lee Yong-gap suggested directions for the development of community integrated care.

Yang Sung-il, 1st Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "The people who best understand local problems and the diverse needs of residents are local government officials and field experts. We will make our best efforts and support to discover various models suitable for local circumstances and to promptly promote legislative support and institutionalization."

Kim Yong-ik, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Service, said, "Once community integrated care is established, it is expected to contribute to revitalizing the local economy by increasing the economically active population and creating care jobs."

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to concretize operational models and expand infrastructure by collecting meaningful research results and various field opinions so that 'universal care' can be realized in the super-aged society by 2025.

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