Health and Long-Term Care Systems for Older People in the Republic of Korea: Policy Challenges and Lessons

The Republic of Korea is experiencing a rapidly aging population with increased life expectancy and lowered fertility. National health insurance has provided universal access to health care for all since 1989, and mandatory long-term care insurance (LTCI) was introduced in 2008, in which everybody who contributes to health insurance simultaneously contributes to LTCI. Although health services and long-term care are universally accessible, health differentials remain across socioeconomic groups. LTCI covers about 7% of older people through eligibility assessment and provides benefits for institutional and home-based care and cash benefits in exceptional cases. Long-term care (LTC) benefit eligibility has been criticized for being excessively reliant on physical functionality, and recently eligibility has been extended to people with dementia. Despite the oversupply of LTC providers, quality of care has been a concern and calls for more investment in the quality evaluation system and training of care workers. There continues to be overreliance on inpatient care and unmet health care needs among LTC users as a result of weak gatekeeping by primary care and a lack of effective coordination between health care and LTC.