Jeon Jinsook: "More Than Half of Local Governments Unprepared for Integrated Care"

Lack of Administrative Infrastructure Raises Concerns of Regional Disparities in Care Services
"Superficial Care Is Not Enough... Expanded National Funding Needed"

Concerns have been raised that the establishment of a municipality-centered integrated care system, which is at the core of the "Integrated Care Support Act" set for full implementation in March next year, remains insufficient.

According to data submitted by Assemblywoman Jeon Jinsook (Gwangju Buk-gu Eul) of the Democratic Party of Korea to the Ministry of Health and Welfare on October 14, with only five months left before the implementation of the Integrated Care Support Act, only 25.3% (58 out of 229) of cities, counties, and districts nationwide have enacted relevant ordinances, 34.1% (78 locations) have formed dedicated organizations, and 58.1% (133 locations) have assigned dedicated personnel.

Furthermore, the rates for establishing integrated support councils and holding meetings stand at just 16.6% (38 locations) and 28.4% (65 locations), respectively. The assignment of dedicated personnel, who are expected to play a central role in care services, is also only about half, raising concerns about operational challenges on the ground.

Overall, the readiness of local governments nationwide for integrated care is low, fueling concerns that care services may be unequal depending on one's place of residence.

The regional disparity is even more severe. Among metropolitan governments, only three-Gwangju, Daejeon, and Gangwon-are currently operating integrated support councils, while even large metropolitan areas with high population densities such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, Busan, and Gyeongnam are experiencing delays in forming related committees.

As coordination and support systems at the city and provincial levels are effectively non-functional, administrative support gaps between regions are widening. This is also evident in infrastructure expansion projects such as pilot home medical centers and local government care-assured housing projects, indicating that regional disparities are not being addressed.

This lack of preparedness is attributed to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's failure to provide clear guidelines, standard organizational models, or practical budget support measures. In particular, rural and fishing communities with low financial independence face significant difficulties in securing personnel or forming organizations, making it even harder for them to respond effectively to the law's implementation.

Assemblywoman Jeon emphasized, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare must go beyond being a mere system administrator and actively take on the role of a field-oriented implementation designer." She proposed three major improvement tasks to ensure the successful establishment of the integrated care system: presenting a standard model for dedicated organizations, strengthening support for financially vulnerable areas, and building a regionally balanced care system. She especially argued that the national subsidy rate should be significantly increased from the current 30-50% to at least 70%, and that the central government should lead the foundation-building efforts for the first three years. She also suggested considering additional national funding for local governments with a high proportion of social welfare budgets.

Assemblywoman Jeon urged, "The government's vision of 'care where you live' should not remain a mere slogan. The central and local governments must work together to quickly establish an operational model for a care-oriented nation, ensuring that all citizens receive equal care services regardless of their region."