'Moon Jae-in Care' 4 Years, Provided 9.2 Trillion Won Medical Benefits to 37 Million People

On the 4th Anniversary of Moon Care, Report on the Achievements of the 'Health Insurance Coverage Enhancement Measures'... Taekwondo Ingyodon Shares Experience Essay

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in stated at an event marking the 4th anniversary of the implementation of the health insurance coverage enhancement policy, ‘Moon Jae-in Care,’ on the 12th, "This policy aims to ensure that no one is denied treatment due to lack of money and that households do not go bankrupt because of medical expenses," adding, "By the end of last year, 37 million citizens were able to save 9.2 trillion won in medical costs."

On the same day, President Moon attended the ‘4th Anniversary Report Meeting on Health Insurance Coverage Enhancement Measures’ held at the Blue House main building in the morning, where he said, "Thanks to the support of the people, the government was able to boldly implement ‘Moon Jae-in Care,’ which has become one of the most highly rated policies," reflecting on the policy’s success.

Moon Jae-in Care applies health insurance to most areas except for cosmetic and plastic surgery, includes the abolition of selective treatment fees, and extends health insurance benefits to 2- and 3-person hospital rooms. The Blue House evaluates that through Moon Jae-in Care, it has approached the policy goal of a ‘strong nation without worries about hospital bills.’

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the National Health Insurance Service, based on the strengthened coverage, 270,000 people received an average of 1.92 million won in support for infertility treatment, 1.24 million children received an average of 150,000 won for dental cavity treatment, and 60,000 people with severe dementia received an average of 690,000 won in medical expense support.

Additionally, the abolition of selective treatment fees, application of health insurance to 2- and 3-person hospital rooms, more than doubling of beds providing integrated nursing and caregiving services (from 26,000 beds to 60,000 beds), and expansion of health insurance coverage for MRI and ultrasound were achieved. Furthermore, the annual total out-of-pocket maximum limit was lowered to about 10% of annual income, and catastrophic medical expenses were supported up to 30 million won annually regardless of disease classification.

The health insurance premium increase rate from 2018 to 2021 was about 2.9%, lower than the previous 10-year average of 3.2%. The health insurance reserve fund reached approximately 17.4 trillion won, exceeding the initial target of 10 trillion won.

President Moon explained, "While significantly expanding the scope of health insurance coverage, the finances were managed stably." The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to continue coverage enhancement policies such as △reducing out-of-pocket expenses for high-cost procedures and surgeries for severe heart disease patients △early coverage of thyroid ultrasound △expanding standards for dental nerve treatment.

Meanwhile, considering COVID-19, the event was held via a non-face-to-face video conference. Taekwondo athlete In Gyo-don, who overcame severe cancer (lymphoma) and won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, participated as a presenter of a health insurance coverage enhancement experience testimony (via video), drawing attention.

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