Elderly Medical Expenses Concentrated in the Last 6-12 Months of Life: "Threat to Health Insurance Finances"

Assemblyman So Byunghoon:
"Sustainability Will Remain Limited Without a Shift to Palliative Care and Community-Based Support"

There are growing concerns that the rapid increase in medical expenses for the elderly, especially the concentration of medical costs in the 6 to 12 months before death, is placing a significant burden on the sustainability of the National Health Insurance and Medical Aid finances.

According to data submitted by Assemblyman So Byunghoon of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju-gap, Gyeonggi Province), a member of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, to the National Health Insurance Service, Korea's Medical Aid expenditures rose by approximately 13.3%, from 10.3 trillion won in 2022 to 11.7 trillion won in 2024. During the same period, National Health Insurance expenditures also increased by 10.0%, from 79.7 trillion won to 87.6 trillion won.

The increase in expenditures among those aged 65 and older was particularly pronounced. Medical Aid expenditures surged by 19.8%, from 5.2 trillion won in 2022 to 6.2 trillion won in 2024, while National Health Insurance expenditures for this age group rose by 14.0%, from 34.2 trillion won to 39 trillion won over the same period.

An even more pressing issue is the "pre-death cost concentration phenomenon." Medical Aid expenditures in the six months before death increased by 15.0%, from 700.5 billion won in 2022 to 805.6 billion won in 2024, while National Health Insurance expenditures for the same period rose by 6.9%, from 4.1429 trillion won to 4.4298 trillion won. Over the 12 months before death, Medical Aid expenditures increased by 10.8%, from 1.0011 trillion won to 1.1089 trillion won, and National Health Insurance expenditures grew by 3.6%, from 5.673 trillion won to 5.8772 trillion won. In contrast, expenditures over the 24 months before death actually decreased, indicating that end-of-life medical costs are excessively concentrated at a specific point in time.

Assemblyman So Byunghoon pointed out, "Medical Aid recipients have low access to community-based palliative and hospice care, so they inevitably rely on hospital admissions. This leads to unnecessary increases in medical expenses and a decline in quality of life, but the current fee structure is designed around inpatient care, providing no incentive to shift toward palliative or community care."

He further emphasized, "The issue of medical expenses for the elderly is not just a matter of numbers, but a question of how our society ensures dignity at the end of life. We must alleviate the concentration of end-of-life medical costs by expanding hospice, palliative care, and community-based care."

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