Omiseop of Gwangju Seo-gu Council Calls for "Realistic Standards for Health Insurance Premium Support"

Proposal for Policy Discussions and Meetings with the City Council

On June 16, Omiseop, a member of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council (Democratic Party of Korea), called for the revision of eligibility standards for low-income health insurance premium support and urged local governments to play a more proactive role, during a five-minute free speech at the first plenary session of the 331st regular meeting.

Omiseop, Gwangju Seo-gu Council Member, provided by Gwangju Seo-gu Council.

Omiseop pointed out, "In 2023, the budget allocated for low-income health insurance premium support was not fully executed, with some funds returned, and in 2024, about 56% of the budget has also remained unused." He added, "The current ordinance limits support to local subscribers whose monthly health insurance premium is less than 10,000 won, which is out of touch with reality."

He continued, "When the government's health insurance premium reduction measure ends in 2026, there is a high possibility that most low-income local subscribers will be excluded from support." He further expressed concern that "the current standard is bound to lose its effectiveness in the future."

According to the National Health Insurance Service, low-income individuals must pay a combined total of approximately 15,000 won per month for health insurance and long-term care insurance premiums. This amount is about 5.6% of the maximum annual income for low-income earners, which is 3.36 million won.

Omiseop argued, "The health insurance system, as a social safety net, is actually working regressively." He also stated, "We must lower the threshold for welfare so that it can truly help those who are struggling," and requested, "Please pay close attention to ensure that welfare blind spots do not occur due to increases in health insurance premiums."

To address these issues, Omiseop proposed: ▲ making eligibility standards for health insurance premium support more realistic, ▲ establishing a joint response system through consultations with Gwangju City, and ▲ holding policy discussions and meetings with the city council.