10 New Recipients Selected for Support
"Focus on Treatment Without Financial Worries," Superintendent Urges
The Gyeongbuk Office of Education (Superintendent Lim Jong-sik) held the 45th Intractable Disease Student Support Committee meeting in the office's conference room on June 17, where it decided to provide medical expense support for 10 new recipients, 1 case of rehabilitation treatment support, and 2 cases of high-cost medication purchases for the treatment of pediatric cancer and rare diseases.
The committee is chaired by the Deputy Superintendent and consists of 13 members, including doctors, pharmacists, and teachers. It is an organization that deliberates on practical support measures to alleviate the financial burden of medical expenses for students with intractable diseases and to help them recover their health.
The Intractable Disease Student Support Committee holds regular meetings every year in the first and second halves. It reviews new support recipients and rehabilitation treatment support funds, as well as the purchase costs of medical assistive devices decided by the subcommittee. It also determines whether to provide support for high-cost medical expenses and expensive medication purchases that are not covered by health insurance.
The Gyeongbuk Office of Education was the first in the nation to launch support for students with intractable diseases in 2001, and since then, both the range of recipients and the scope of supported items have been continuously expanded. Major milestones include support for students enrolled in broadcasting and correspondence high schools (up to age 18) in 2007, support for medical expenses for type 1 diabetes for basic livelihood security recipients in 2008, support for growth hormone treatment for students with leukemia and short stature in 2010, easing of income criteria for medical expense support in 2019, support for insulin medication for type 1 diabetes in 2020, and support for the purchase of continuous glucose monitors and related supplies for students with type 1 diabetes in 2021.
From 2001 to the present, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education has provided a total of 11,864,000,000 KRW in support to 1,448 students, among whom 141 students have achieved a complete recovery.
As of the first half of 2025, through five subcommittee meetings and one main committee meeting, new support was approved for 10 students, and a total of 40,071,010 KRW in medical expenses was provided to 45 students.
Eligible recipients include students with rare diseases and pediatric cancer designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as other diseases determined by the Intractable Disease Student Support Committee. Supported items include the patient's share of inpatient medical expenses and the patient's share of rehabilitation treatment expenses for outpatient care. For students with type 1 diabetes, support is also provided for insulin medication and the purchase of continuous glucose monitors and related supplies.
To ensure that eligible students do not miss the opportunity to apply for support in a timely manner, the Gyeongbuk Office of Education retroactively provides support for up to one year from the date of the decision for students who are hospitalized at the time of selection, and increases the amount of support as needed until the student is fully recovered, without any upper limit. In addition, to ensure timely assistance, applications are accepted at any time throughout the year, and the subcommittee holds monthly meetings.
Those wishing to receive medical expense support should fill out the application form and required documents posted on the Gyeongbuk Office of Education website (Physical Education and Health Division Resources) and submit them to their school. The final decision on new recipients and support amounts is made through the deliberation of the Intractable Disease Student Support Subcommittee.
The Gyeongbuk Office of Education received a Presidential Group Commendation on World Health Day (April 7) in 2006 in recognition of being the first in the nation to launch a project supporting students with intractable diseases.
Lim Jong-sik, Superintendent of the Gyeongbuk Office of Education, stated, "We will continue to provide unwavering support so that students with intractable diseases can focus on their treatment without financial worries and pursue their dreams in good health," adding, "We will not only provide practical medical expense support, but also work to reduce institutional blind spots through increased publicity and expanded support."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
