"Integrated Care Model" in Bucheon City... Successive Visits by Presidential Committee and Key Agencies

Integrated Services Connecting Healthcare, Housing, and Safety Nets

Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province, announced that on December 18, key government agencies including the Presidential Committee on Low Birthrate and Aging Society and the Ministry of Health and Welfare visited Bucheon to review the progress of the "Bucheon-Style Integrated Care" initiative and discuss directions for nationwide expansion in the future.

The participants shared the background, operational status, and major achievements of the Bucheon-Style Integrated Care program, and discussed future policy directions for addressing an aging population and establishing a community-based care system.

A roundtable was also held with public officials involved in integrated care, as well as experts in health, medical care, daily living support, and housing. They examined the potential for nationwide expansion of Bucheon’s community-based integrated care model, reviewed the establishment of a sustainable administrative and financial structure after the transition to the main project, and discussed policy and institutional support measures from the central government.

Mayor Jo Yong-ik of Bucheon (third from right) and the Vice Chairman of the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee (fourth from right), along with the visiting delegation, are taking a commemorative photo. Bucheon City, Gyeonggi Province

Joo Hyun-hwan, Vice Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Low Birthrate and Aging Society, stated, "Bucheon is a leading example of community-based care," and added, "The committee will thoroughly review the various on-site opinions discussed today and actively reflect them in the formulation of future master plans and policy directions."

Jung Ae-kyung, Director of Welfare for Bucheon City, said, "The Bucheon-Style Integrated Care is a field-oriented policy that reflects local conditions and the needs of residents," and continued, "Based on our accumulated operational achievements and experience in public-private cooperation, we will continue to present an integrated care model jointly developed by central and local governments."

Since launching a pilot project for integrated care in 2019, Bucheon City has operated the "Bucheon-Style Integrated Care" model, which connects healthcare, care services, housing, and safety nets. In particular, by collaborating with 66 private organizations, the city provides customized services to elderly residents with mobility difficulties, achieving improvements in satisfaction and reductions in medical assistance costs.