Jeongeup-si Supports Mental Health Treatment Expenses... Up to 1 Million Won

Jeongeup City in Jeonbuk announced on the 24th that it will provide up to 1 million KRW in treatment expenses to help citizens struggling with mental health issues return to normal social life.

Jeongeup City Mental Health Welfare Center. [Photo by Jeongeup City]

While basic livelihood security recipients have relatively less burden for treatment costs due to medical benefits provided by the government, those in the near-poverty bracket or covered by health insurance often find the 30,000 to 60,000 KRW cost incurred once a month for outpatient treatment burdensome, leading to cases where they avoid receiving treatment.

This can potentially trigger a relapse of mental illness.

To prevent such situations, the mental health treatment expense support project is provided to registered members who agree to the city’s Mental Health Welfare Center services among economically vulnerable groups (below 140% of median income).

The support includes various services such as inpatient and outpatient psychiatric treatment fees, medication costs, and injection treatment fees, according to internal regulations.

Mr. Kim, who has been receiving treatment support since last year, said, “Hospital bills were a burden, but receiving support for hospital expenses has eased that burden,” expressing satisfaction with the center’s services and continuous treatment maintenance.

A city official stated, “By supporting psychiatric treatment expenses for registered members facing economic difficulties, we will encourage continuous treatment and strive to ensure stable symptom management.”

Meanwhile, the city’s Mental Health Welfare Center has organized the mental health treatment expense support project as a sub-project of the integrated mental health promotion project launched in 2021, providing treatment expenses worth about 80 million KRW to 215 beneficiaries from 2021 through last year.

In addition to financial support, the center helps ensure that psychiatric treatment is consistently maintained.

Jeongeup = Kim Jaegil, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr