54% of Last Year's 10.9 Trillion Medical Benefits Spent on Medical Expenses for Those Aged 65 and Over

HIRA-NHIS Publish 2023 Medical Aid Statistics
Per Capita Benefit Cost Increased 7.7% from 6.63 Million KRW to 7.14 Million KRW

Last year, the total medical aid expenses paid to low-income groups amounted to 10.9 trillion KRW. More than half of this, 54%, was spent on medical treatment costs for beneficiaries aged 65 and older.

According to the '2023 Medical Aid Statistics' published on the 28th by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and the National Health Insurance Service, the number of medical aid beneficiaries last year was 1,517,041, and the total aid expenses paid amounted to 10.8809 trillion KRW. Medical aid is a system where the government subsidizes almost all medical expenses for low-income groups earning 40% or less of the median income.

The number of medical aid beneficiaries last year slightly decreased by 0.3% compared to 2022, while the total aid expenses increased by 8.3%. The aid expenses per person rose by 7.7%, from approximately 6.63 million KRW in 2022 to 7.14 million KRW last year.

The proportion of elderly beneficiaries aged 65 and older among last year's medical aid recipients was 42.4%, significantly higher than the 17.9% elderly ratio among health insurance subscribers.

The share of aid expenses accounted for by those aged 65 and older was even higher at 53.8%. The proportion of medical aid expenses for beneficiaries aged 65 and older has been increasing annually: 49.3% in 2019, 50.3% in 2020, 51.2% in 2021, and 52.4% in 2022.

The total aid expenses for those aged 65 and older reached 5.8526 trillion KRW, surpassing 5 trillion KRW for the first time in 2022, and showed a double-digit growth rate of 11.2% last year. The aid expenses per person aged 65 and older were 8.94 million KRW, a 6.3% increase from the previous year. This is 1.55 times higher than the 5.78 million KRW per person for those under 65.

The most common diseases treated among all medical aid beneficiaries were gingivitis and periodontal diseases, followed by acute bronchitis, essential hypertension, and back pain.