NHIS and Credit Counseling & Recovery Service to Support Overdue Health Insurance Premiums for Vulnerable Youth

Four Consecutive Years Since 2023
This Year’s Support Program Totals 550 Million Won

The National Health Insurance Service and the Credit Counseling & Recovery Service announced on May 14 that they will implement a program to support overdue health insurance premiums, aiming to help young people facing both restrictions in accessing medical care and credit crises become self-reliant.

Since signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for insurance premium support in 2023, the two organizations have consistently expanded the scale and benefits of the initiative each year. Over the past three years, they have supported a total of 2,714 vulnerable youths by providing 930 million won in overdue health insurance premiums, thereby protecting young people's access to medical benefits and alleviating their payment burdens.

This year, the budget for the support program amounts to 550 million won. The funds, created with donations from the Credit Card Social Contribution Foundation and KB Securities, will be used to provide monthly support for overdue health insurance premiums starting this month.

The program is open to applicants aged 39 or younger who have applied for debt adjustment with the Credit Counseling & Recovery Service, have overdue health insurance premiums of 2 million won or less, and have been delinquent for at least three months. Eligibility will be reviewed among applicants to determine who qualifies for support.

The maximum support per person is 500,000 won. If the overdue amount is less than or equal to 500,000 won, the full amount will be covered. For amounts exceeding 500,000 won but not exceeding 2 million won, up to 500,000 won will be provided within the range of the overdue premium.

Details on eligibility and the application process can be found on the Credit Counseling & Recovery Service Digital Counseling Department's website or mobile app.

Building on the achievements of the project so far, the two organizations plan to continue working together by improving detailed support criteria and securing additional resources to enhance the effectiveness of the support. In addition, they will strive to expand the program to include not only young people but also other vulnerable groups experiencing financial hardship.

Jeong Ki-seok, President of the National Health Insurance Service, stated, "Providing a fresh start to vulnerable youth is a highly meaningful achievement," adding, "Having continued this initiative for four consecutive years, we will maintain a strong partnership to serve as a safety net so that vulnerable groups can recover their health and credit and make a new start."

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