NHIS to Cut Premiums by Up to 50% in Special Disaster Areas Hit by Heavy Rain; Additional Support for Dentures and Assistive Devices

[Financial News] The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) said it will provide health insurance premium reductions and additional benefit support for residents affected by recent heavy rain in Andong and Uiseong in North Gyeongsang Province, and Geoje and Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang Province, which were designated as special disaster areas.
On the 25th, NHIS said it will roll out support measures to help residents quickly return to normal life after Andong's Iljik-myeon, Namseon-myeon and Imha-myeon, and Uiseong County's Danchon-myeon in North Gyeongsang Province were designated as special disaster areas on the 7th, and Geoje and Tongyeong's Sanyang-eup and Bongpyeong-dong in South Gyeongsang Province were designated on the 21st.
For insured households in the affected areas, monthly premiums will be reduced by 30% to 50% depending on the extent of damage. The reduction period will generally be three months, and premiums may be cut for up to six months if both personal and property damage occurred. Late payment charges will also be waived for up to six months.
For local subscriber households and workplaces covered by employment-based insurance in the special disaster areas, collection procedures such as prior notice of seizure and asset seizure will also be deferred for six months.
The premium reduction process will be carried out in a way that minimizes the need for separate applications. After the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) completes damage surveys and identifies those affected by personal and property losses, NHIS plans to apply premium reductions and late fee exemptions according to the extent of damage.
Additional benefits will also be provided to residents who lost or damaged senior dentures or assistive devices for people with disabilities due to the heavy rain. Once local governments confirm the damage, they can receive extra support based on the date of the disaster. For assistive devices for people with disabilities, prescription and prior approval procedures may also be waived.
Normally, senior dentures can be covered again only after seven years from the previous benefit, while assistive devices for people with disabilities must wait anywhere from six months to six years, depending on the item. However, if damage caused by a special disaster is confirmed, additional benefits can be provided even before the replacement cycle or durability period has passed.
Kang Cheong-hee, chairman of NHIS, said, "We will move quickly to reduce health insurance premiums and provide additional benefit support so that we can ease, even a little, the financial burden on residents affected by the sudden heavy rain, as well as the inconvenience faced by seniors and people with disabilities." He added, "We will continue to support disaster victims so they can return to their daily lives as soon as possible."

[email protected] Jung Sang-hee Reporter