[2020 National Audit] "7 out of 10 Vulnerable Groups Do Not Receive National Cancer Screening Benefits"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyun-ui Cho] The government is conducting national cancer screenings for citizens in the lower 50% of the insurance premium assessment criteria and medical aid beneficiaries, who are medically vulnerable groups, to prevent the early occurrence of six major cancers with high incidence rates such as stomach cancer and liver cancer. However, the cancer screening participation rate among these groups was found to be only 30%.

According to data submitted by the National Health Insurance Corporation to Kim Won-i, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, as of last year, only about 32% (320,000 people) of the 1.02 million medical aid beneficiaries eligible for national cancer screening underwent cancer screening. Among citizens in the lower 50% of the insurance premium assessment criteria, only 58.1% (6.77 million) of the 11.65 million eligible for national cancer screening received cancer screening last year.

National cancer screening targets include health insurance subscribers and their dependents who fall within the lower 50% of the insurance premium assessment criteria for the relevant year, as well as medical aid beneficiaries. Medical aid beneficiaries refer to vulnerable groups with difficulties in living, such as recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security Act, persons of distinguished service to the state, national merit recipients, adopted children (under 18 years old), disaster victims, and others, according to Article 11, Paragraph 2 of the Cancer Control Act.

The screening rate among medical aid beneficiaries, who are national cancer screening targets, was particularly low. Over the past five years, the screening rate for medical aid beneficiaries has actually declined, remaining at about 30%. Last year, only about 320,000 out of 1.02 million received health screenings. Among these, liver cancer had the highest screening rate at 47.5%, which is less than half, followed by breast cancer at 37.9%, stomach cancer at 36.6%, cervical cancer at 30.5%, colorectal cancer at 23.3%, and lung cancer at 20.3%.

Additionally, over the past five years, the national cancer screening participation rate among citizens in the lower 50% of the insurance premium assessment criteria remained in the 50% range. It increased slightly from 50.2% in 2015 to 58.1% in 2019, but as of last year, only 6.77 million out of 11.65 million underwent screening. During the same period, the screening rates by cancer type were highest for liver cancer at 76.8%, followed by breast cancer at 68.5%, stomach cancer at 64.5%, cervical cancer at 61.9%, colorectal cancer at 45.2%, and lung cancer at 34.3%.

Assemblyman Kim emphasized, "The number of cancer deaths in Korea is increasing every year, and although national cancer screenings are provided free of charge, the participation rate is still less than half. Especially since the screening rate among medical aid beneficiaries remains at about 30%, the government and local governments must work together to establish proactive administrative measures for early cancer prevention."