[Yonhap Photo]
In a bid to boost general public welfare, President Moon Jae-in pledged sweeping reform in South Korea's state health care program to ensure greater benefits and less insurance payment than now by injecting a massive amount of state money.
State insurance coverage will be expanded significantly to cover nearly all but cosmetic surgery and other non-essential treatments, Moon said during his visit to a general hospital, according to a statement from the president's office.
"I will build a country where everybody is free of concern over medical expenses and can receive treatment for any disease," Moon said, suggesting patients in the low-income bracket would see reduced medical costs.
Enhanced health care benefits will not lead to a rise in insurance payment because the government will shoulder an extra cost of 30.6 trillion won ($27 billion) for five years, including some 10 trillion won coming from profits accumulated by the state health care fund.
Government data showed that total medical expenses were estimated at 69.4 trillion won in 2015, including 13.5 trillion won that was not covered by a state insurance program.
The government will reduce annual medical spending of all people by an average 18 percent, Moon said, adding there would be no higher increase in the national health insurance rate, which was frozen at 6.12 percent of monthly salary or income this year. The reserve in collected insurance fees stood at 20 trillion won.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
