Busan Declares Integrated Care Vision... City to Pursue "15-Minute Care City" Initiative

Integrated, Community-Based Care System Linking Medical, Nursing, and Welfare Services

Eligibility Expanded from 70% to 100% of Median Income

Busan Metropolitan City has declared its vision for the "15-Minute Care City," a Busan-type integrated care system.

On the afternoon of March 10, at 2:00 PM, Busan Metropolitan City will hold the "Busan-Type Integrated Care Vision Declaration Ceremony" at the city hall’s main auditorium. During the event, the city will announce its policy vision and direction for implementing "Busan, the 15-Minute Care City where citizens can live healthily and happily in their own neighborhoods."

This declaration ceremony has been organized to respond proactively to the "Act on Integrated Support for Regional Care such as Medical and Nursing Services (Care Integration Support Act)" that will come into effect on March 27. It also aims to systematically address the increased demand for care services due to changes in society, such as the transition to a super-aged society and the rise in single-person households.

Until now, care services have often been provided in silos across medical, nursing, welfare, and housing sectors, leading to service gaps during the return to daily life after hospital discharge and insufficient linkages between different services.

To overcome these limitations, the city plans to establish an integrated support system comprising discovery, planning, connection, provision, and monitoring. It will also actively promote a regionally self-sufficient care model that transitions from hospital to home and from treatment to daily life.

Approximately 700 participants, including Mayor Park Hyungjoon of Busan, members of the city council, heads of districts, officials from related public institutions, representatives from private welfare and medical organizations, care service workers, and citizens, will attend the ceremony. Institutions related to care, such as the National Health Insurance Service, National Pension Service, Association of Social Welfare Centers, Home-Based Elderly Support Service Centers, Community Self-Support Centers, and Long-Term Care Home Medical Centers, will also participate.

The event will proceed in the order of a progress report, announcement of the Busan-type integrated care vision, signing of inter-agency business agreements, and a commemorative photo session. Mayor Park, care recipients, and frontline workers will take the stage together to introduce the necessity and roles of integrated care.

The core of Busan-type integrated care is a community-based care policy that comprehensively links medical, nursing, and welfare services, enabling citizens to maintain healthy lives where they live.

The city has expanded the eligibility criteria for service users from those at or below 70% of the median income to those at or below 100%. In addition, eight Busan-specific services—such as post-discharge patient care, hospital accompaniment for peace of mind, end-of-life support, household support, meal support, training and support for care activity workers, home environment improvement, and home-visit exercise—will be added and provided alongside the 30 nationwide common services.

The number of long-term care home medical centers will be increased from 10 to 28, and the number of partner hospitals for post-discharge patient linkage will be expanded to 82. This will strengthen the home-visit medical care system for seniors with mobility difficulties and discharged patients.

Furthermore, by utilizing home-based elderly support service centers and community health centers, the city will offer regionally self-sufficient medical services and daily-life-oriented care services. The number of service support personnel will be expanded from the current 15,000 to 50,000.

Following the vision announcement, major institutions—including the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters of the National Health Insurance Service, Busan Regional Headquarters of the National Pension Service, Busan Social Service Agency, Association of Social Welfare Centers, and Home-Based Elderly Welfare Association—will sign business agreements to promote Busan-type integrated care. Each organization has agreed to cooperate in discovering eligible recipients, sharing information, collaborative case management, and strengthening the linkage of medical, nursing, and welfare services.

The city expects that, with the implementation of Busan-type integrated care, citizens in need will be able to receive counseling, apply, and establish care plans through a single comprehensive window at the township or neighborhood level, thereby reducing procedural inconveniences and service gaps.

Mayor Park Hyungjoon emphasized, "Care is no longer solely the responsibility of individuals or families, but a challenge that the whole community must address together. We will build an integrated care system that connects hospital to home and treatment to daily life, making Busan a 15-Minute Care City where citizens can live healthily and happily in their own neighborhoods."

Busan-type Integrated Care System.

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