14 Million Gyeonggi Residents Enrolled in Climate Insurance
Coverage Includes Overseas Infectious Diseases Such as Dengue Fever
Gyeonggi Province will implement the nation's first-ever 'Climate Insurance' for local governments nationwide starting this March. Considering the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to climate change and the concentrated damage to vulnerable groups, the program is characterized by expanding support for these groups. The insurance coverage method is similar to general private insurance. Applicants prepare documents proving the damage and apply to the insurance company.
The target subscribers are 14 million residents of Gyeonggi Province. It operates on an automatic enrollment basis without a separate subscription process. Climate insurance covers health damages related to climate. For example, if diagnosed with T67 (heat-related illness diagnosis code) according to the Korean Standard Classification of Diseases, one can receive coverage of 100,000 KRW once a year.
Specific coverage includes diagnosis fees for heat and cold-related illnesses (100,000 KRW once a year), diagnosis fees for eight types of infectious diseases (100,000 KRW per incident), and consolation money for injuries lasting more than four weeks related to weather warnings (300,000 KRW per incident).
In particular, about 160,000 climate-vulnerable individuals (those targeted by the public health center's visiting health management program) can receive additional coverage. Coverage items include hospitalization fees for heat and cold-related illnesses (up to 5 days, 100,000 KRW per incident), transportation costs to medical institutions during weather warnings (20,000 KRW), ambulance transfer and transport fees during climate disasters (500,000 KRW), and support for mental damage caused by climate disasters (up to 500,000 KRW, 100,000 KRW per case).
This insurance is a social security system aimed at minimizing damage from rapid climate change and supporting climate-vulnerable groups, and is a key project of Governor Kim Dong-yeon's 8th term in Gyeonggi Province. The budget allocated for climate insurance is approximately 3.4 billion KRW.
Its purpose is to proactively respond to unpredictable climate crises and establish a social safety net that protects the health and safety of residents. In particular, the province plans to focus on expanding support for groups vulnerable to climate change to alleviate health inequality issues.
How to Receive Coverage?
The coverage method is similar to general insurance.
An official from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government said, "Residents who have actually suffered damage apply directly to the contracted insurance company with the necessary documents, and the insurance company pays out. In the case of cold and heat-related illnesses, coverage is provided as long as the diagnosis code is obtained regardless of the time of illness occurrence." However, the insurance company has not yet been decided. Gyeonggi Province plans to conduct a public bidding process in January.
Support is also available for infections contracted overseas. A Gyeonggi Provincial Government official explained, "Dengue fever is an overseas infectious disease with no domestic occurrence, but it is covered. We decided to include it as a coverage item because climate change affects ecosystem changes, and there is concern that previously non-existent overseas infectious diseases may become endemic, so we decided to provide comprehensive support."
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