Pulse brief · 1 cited source · July 30, 2026
South Korea maps insurance coverage for hospital caregiving
Officials plan to finalize implementation this year and begin with severe patients in the first half of next year.
South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare held a July 28 public forum on bringing caregiving services at long-term care hospitals under National Health Insurance. Full-scale implementation is set to begin in the first half of next year, starting with severe patients and expanding gradually to people with high medical and caregiving needs. The ministry plans to finalize implementation this year through the National Health Insurance Policy Review Committee after hearings and consultations. Selected care-focused hospitals would provide the benefit and be assessed for medical-service quality, caregiving capability and community links. The stated goal is to ease families' caregiving burden while shifting long-term care hospitals toward therapeutic care and strengthening connections to local community care networks.
Evidence
Each statement shown below is a verified claim this source supports.
- South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare is working to include caregiving services at long-term care hospitals under National Health Insurance, with full-scale implementation set to begin in the first half of next year.
- The caregiving benefit will begin with severe patients, and caregiving services will expand gradually to patients with higher medical and caregiving needs.
- The Ministry plans to finalize the implementation plan this year at the National Health Insurance Policy Review Committee after hearings and consultations.
- The Ministry of Health and Welfare held a public forum on July 28 where the caregiving-policy initiatives were announced.
- Selected care-focused long-term care hospitals will provide the benefit and be assessed for medical-service quality, caregiving capability and community links.
- The reform is intended to ease families' caregiving burden while shifting long-term care hospitals toward therapeutic care and connecting them with local community care networks.