Mayor calls for greater state funding of long-term elderly care

“Why should local governments shoulder the cost of elderly care?” That question lies behind Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyun-deok’s call for the central government to take on more of the expense of long-term care for medical-aid recipients.

Choi made the request on Monday during a meeting at the National Assembly with Kwon Chil-seung, policy committee chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea. He called for revisions to the Long-Term Care Insurance Act for the Elderly and its enforcement decree. Namyangju had already sent proposals for improving the system to lawmakers representing the area.

Under the current system, the national government covers 80% of ordinary medical-aid costs. But when a medical-aid recipient becomes eligible for long-term care benefits, local governments take on a much larger share of the related costs.

Namyangju says this structure places an especially heavy burden on areas where care facilities are concentrated. The burden is significant in the city compared with other municipalities. As of the end of July, Namyangju had 143,793 residents aged 65 or older, the seventh-highest figure among Gyeonggi Province’s 31 cities and counties.