Sancheong-gun "Year-Round Support for Purchasing Assistive Devices for Disabled Persons"

Reducing Economic Burden for Medical Aid Recipients and Others

We are conducting a repair support project for walking aids for elderly and disabled individuals.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Choi Soon-kyung] Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province, provides year-round support for the purchase of assistive devices to registered disabled individuals among medical aid beneficiaries facing financial difficulties.

The medical aid assistive device support project aims to alleviate the economic burden of disabled medical aid beneficiaries and help their participation in social activities.

Support is provided for the purchase of assistive devices such as hearing aids, electric wheelchairs, electric scooters, and arm and leg prosthetics to registered disabled individuals among medical aid beneficiaries.

Applicants must be medical aid beneficiaries who are registered as disabled under the 'Disabled Welfare Act.'

The application procedure requires submitting a prescription (including test results) issued by a specialist according to the type of disability and an application form to the local town or township office of the applicant’s residence.

After application, once the county determines and decides eligibility for support, the notified beneficiaries can visit assistive device vendors registered with the National Health Insurance Service to purchase the devices and submit the assistive device benefit claim form (including inspection confirmation, etc.).

Support for assistive devices is recognized only once per person within the durability period by type, and payment is based on the lowest amount among the type-specific standard amount, the announced amount, and the actual purchase amount. However, any amount exceeding the support limit must be fully borne by the beneficiary.

County Governor Lee Seung-hwa stated, “We will do our best to improve the independent living and quality of life of low-income disabled individuals through the continuous promotion of the medical aid assistive device support project.”