Ruling and Opposition Parties Rarely United on Policy... 'Coverage of Caregiving Expenses'

Opposition's All-Out Offensive for Caregiving Expense Coverage... Ruling Party and Government Respond
"Expansion of Integrated Nursing and Caregiving Services, Application of Health Insurance"
Key Issue is Securing Funding... Concerns Over 'Health Insurance Depletion' Forecast

The ruling and opposition parties, which have repeatedly engaged in political disputes, have for the first time in a while voiced a unified stance on measures for caregiving expenses. However, concerns are also being raised about how to secure the funding to be投入 into caregiving expense measures, as the health insurance finances are faltering due to aging population.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 22nd, "Discussions on applying health insurance to caregiving expenses, the Democratic Party's first general election pledge, are gaining momentum. The government and ruling party held a party-government consultation yesterday (21st) and promised to provide high-quality caregiving services." He added, "It is fortunate that for the first time in a while, the ruling and opposition parties have reached a policy consensus and discussions for the people's livelihood are progressing."

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is speaking at an on-site meeting regarding the policy of including nursing care fees in insurance coverage, held on November 28 at The Saint Nursing Hospital in Guro-gu.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He said, "The population aged 65 and over is already approaching 10 million, and the average monthly caregiving expense reaches 4.5 million won," adding, "We must quickly change the reality where the burden of care directly leads to 'caregiving hell'." He continued, "The Democratic Party revived the 8.5 billion won pilot project budget that the government completely cut," emphasizing, "We must redefine the roles and functions of nursing hospitals and promptly prepare financial burden measures to provide substantial support."

The People Power Party and the Ministry of Health and Welfare proposed measures to significantly expand integrated nursing and caregiving services and apply health insurance to caregiving expenses in nursing hospitals through a party-government consultation held the day before. The core is to expand hospitals applying integrated nursing and caregiving services for acute disease patients and to apply health insurance or long-term care insurance to caregiving expenses in nursing hospitals where chronic disease patients are admitted. This will be implemented gradually from July next year.

Ruling and Opposition Parties Unite for the First Time in a While... But Concerns Over "Finances"

Yoon Jae-ok, Floor Leader of the People Power Party and Acting Party Leader, is delivering a greeting at the "A Country Without Worries About Caregiving Expenses, Party-Government Council" held at the National Assembly on the 21st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Originally, the caregiving expense issue was one that both ruling and opposition parties equally expressed a will to resolve. Both parties' candidates pledged it during the last presidential election. It is also included in the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's national agenda. However, conflict arose when the government completely cut the 1.6 billion won pilot project budget for caregiving support in nursing hospitals during the preparation of next year's budget. The Democratic Party opposed the government's decision and unilaterally increased the related budget to 8 billion won in the Health and Welfare Committee. The final budget bill, which passed the plenary session the day before, reflected a total of 8.5 billion won.

The Democratic Party launched an all-out offensive against the government's budget cuts. On the 28th of last month, Lee Jae-myung led party leadership to visit a nursing hospital in Seoul and held an on-site meeting. The next day, Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, responded, saying, "It is true that the burden is so heavy that many citizens are concerned." Subsequently, President Yoon Seok-yeol said at the Cabinet meeting on the 19th, "The caregiving burden has become a serious social problem to the extent that the term 'caregiving hell' is used," and ordered, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare should promptly prepare measures together with related ministries to quickly reduce the caregiving burden on the people."

As a result, the ruling and opposition parties appear to have formed a policy consensus. However, concerns remain about finances. The government announced that caregiving expense burdens will be reduced by 11 trillion won annually through this measure. This is interpreted to mean that government budgets amounting to 11 trillion won must be投入. The caregiving expense support pilot project also投入 24 billion won for 600 people. If expanded nationwide, a budget in the trillions of won range is expected to be required. Additionally, there are forecasts that health insurance finances will be depleted in five years. The government’s 고민 over securing finances is expected to deepen.

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