Key Points in the Action Plan 2022
1. A Safe Healthcare and Medical System establishment
The Ministry of Health and Welfare will open a new central infectious disease hospital from 2022 to 2026, assign 757 regular employees and provide part-timers for public health centers, establish infrastructure for treating infectious diseases in 41 public hospitals, thereby strengthening the country’s capabilities to cope with infectious diseases. An average of 6 to 12 part-timers will be assigned per public health center, funded by National Health Promotion Fund(for 2,064 part-timers over four months) and the government budget(for 2,860 part-timers over 11 months).
To ensure the delivery of essential healthcare and protect the disadvantaged, the Ministry will newly open or expand a total of 11 municipal medical centers and expand the number of regionally responsible medical institutions from 35 to 43. The ministry will also resolve the operation deficit of medical institutions participating in national projects and policies, such as the National Dental Care Center for the Persons with Special Needs. The Ministry will continue to increase the coverage of national health insurance to include musculoskeletal, dental and pediatric treatments, and relieve the public’s healthcare cost by expanding disaster medical assistance to the disadvantaged.
2. Physical and Mental Healthcare for Better Life for All
To enhance preventive healthcare, the Ministry will increase the number of community health centers from 157 to 200, and AI and IoT-based healthcare projects for the elderly from 53 to 77 health centers and prepare for legalizing contactless medical services. It will beef up Korea’s mental health infrastructure by increasing the number of regional trauma centers from 5 to 7 by 2023, adding 11 new community mental health centers, and improving mental health services encompassing depression, psychiatric emergency and suicide prevention, etc.
3. A Medical Ecosystem Trusted by both Patients and Medical Professionals
The Ministry will bolster regional medical system through the pilot projects for local base hospitals for severe patients, targeted for general hospitals during the first half of 2022, and strengthening the severe patient treatment system, targeted for superior general hospitals during the second half of 2022. It will draw a plan for supply of healthcare professionals and hospital beds in 2022 and manage medical resources more efficiently, including securing and improving the treatment of nurses. The Ministry will boost communication and cooperation with the medical community and NGOs through regular meetings, such as healthcare and medical development consultative groups, user-oriented medical consultative groups, etc.
4. Bigger Income Support
1) Income Support for Basic Livelihood of the Disadvantaged
The standard median income for the livelihood benefits under NBLSS will be raised by the biggest margin of 5.02% in 2022 to expand coverage, and the family support obligation rules for medical benefits will be eased. More disadvantaged families will become eligible for emergency welfare assistance, as the criteria will relax from assets of KRW188 million to KRW 241 million in big cities and from financial assets of KRW 5million to KRW 6million.
2) Ensuring Post-Retirement Income and Supporting Income and Employment of People with Disabilities
The Ministry will support stable post-retirement income by increasing the coverage of the basic pension, reducing low-income families’ premium payments for the national pension, and creating 845,000 new jobs for the elderly. It will expand income and employment support for people with disabilities, through a pilot survey of income activities of 1,000 people with severe disabilities and by increasing child disability allowance.
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