"68% of Citizens Demand Health Insurance Premium Rate Cut or Freeze Next Year... Need to Improve Spending Efficiency"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] As the Ministry of Health and Welfare prepares to review the adjustment of the health insurance premium rate, a survey revealed that 7 out of 10 citizens want the health insurance premium rate to be lowered or frozen next year.

The Korea Employers Federation announced on the 27th that it conducted a "Public Awareness Survey on National Health Insurance Issues" targeting 1,000 men and women aged 20 and over nationwide through the survey agency Now & Future, and the results were compiled accordingly.

Additionally, 62.6% of respondents said that the current health insurance premium level relative to their income is burdensome, while only 6.0% said it is not burdensome. In particular, 73.7% of respondents evaluated the cumulative increase rate of health insurance premiums over the past four years since the implementation of the current health insurance coverage enhancement measures as high.

With the health insurance premium rate expected to reach the statutory upper limit (8% of income) by 2026 if increased annually as planned by the government, more than half of the public (55.1%) opposed the legislative amendment to raise the statutory upper limit. Among the 14.2% who supported the amendment, the preferred new statutory upper limit was between 8% and less than 9%.

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Regarding the direction of health insurance policy for the next government, 39.8% preferred maintaining both health insurance benefits and premium burdens at the current level, while 30.5% favored expanding coverage mainly for severe diseases.

As for the health insurance premium rate under the next government, 39.8% preferred maintaining the current level, and 37.5% preferred lowering it, whereas only 19.5% wanted an increase in the premium rate, consistent with the current government's policy.

Regarding the introduction of the sickness allowance system under government consideration, support and opposition were nearly even at 36.1% and 37.3%, respectively, within the margin of error (±3.1%). However, more than half (54.8%) opposed securing funding through an increase in health insurance premiums.

Ryu Ki-jung, Executive Director of the Korea Employers Federation, stated, "Since health insurance premiums naturally increase due to wage hikes and rising official land prices, raising the premium rate annually causes excessive additional burdens on companies and citizens. Given that the total health insurance premiums paid by the public exceeded 60 trillion won last year, to avoid economic strain, the premium rate for next year should be frozen and strong measures to improve health insurance expenditure efficiency should be implemented."

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