건강생활실천지원금제It is a system that has attracted a lot of attention in that it provides incentives for health care through point payments, but it is said that it has not developed into a system to reduce medical costs.
Recently, the National Health Insurance Corporation announced that it would revise related guidelines to expand participation due to the lack of efficiency in the Healthy Living Practice Support System (hereinafter referred to as Health Support System) pilot project.
Looking at the core of the revision, it simplifies the model and increases the accumulation limit, while lowering the criteria for use. This is a measure to make the support system more effective in motivating health care.
The details include integration of detailed participation types (practical type, improvement type), deletion of prevention-type health risk group classification, and integration of management-type participation target classification (hypertension, diabetes).
In addition, 2,000 points per participation in the prevention type were increased from 2,000 points per participation to 5,000 points per participation. The management type also increased from 2,000 points to 10,000 points. Participation points were significantly increased, accumulation limits and standards were lowered, and usage standards were lowered.
Previously, the pilot project was implemented from July 29, 2021. It was decided to divide the target into prevention type (ages 20 to 64) and management type (hypertension and diabetes patients) and provide health accumulation subsidies only to applicants until June 30, 2024.
The purpose is to prevent the occurrence of serious and expensive diseases by motivating people to practice healthy lifestyles through health point support, and to reduce medical expenses due to diseases.
In the early days of the system, the Corporation expected to create a social atmosphere in which individuals practice healthy lifestyles on their own, thereby improving the level of public health and dramatically reducing unnecessary medical expenses.
In particular, at the time of its introduction, opinions emerged that the effectiveness of existing health promotion projects and chronic disease management projects centered on primary care was insufficient, and at the same time, individual practice for disease prevention and management was in the spotlight.
Afterwards, in order to establish it in the mid- to long-term, it was even promoted to integrate with similar projects that provide incentives, such as the ‘Senior Health Mileage Pilot Project’, and it was predicted that it would be fostered as a public health project.
The problem didn’t stop there. It was also pointed out that the barriers to using the points provided for participating in the project were too high when using shopping malls. Although the connection method is difficult, there is only one place to use it (Hyundai Easy Mall).
At the time of introduction, the subsidy was widely announced so that it could be used in online and offline stores by purchasing products at Internet shopping malls designated by the corporation or exchanging them for mobile gift certificates, but the expansion was not properly carried out until the second year of the pilot project and was stopped at one location.
Confirmation of the corporation’s commitment to improvement… Currently discussing plans
It was confirmed that the corporation also acknowledged this problem and was discussing improvements. The explanation is that the direction of improvement is focused on raising health care awareness and point convenience.
According to an official from the corporation’s health management office, this revision acknowledged that the existing project standards were somewhat lacking in motivation to induce public health management effects.
Accordingly, major improvements were made to mark the second year of the pilot project, and various factors were improved so that it could serve as a practical incentive.
They also announced that they are considering expanding the use of health points. It was pointed out internally that point use was not widespread according to the pilot project, and improvements are being discussed.
From now on, the company plans to make efforts to establish itself as a practical means of health management for the people by expanding health points and continuously inspecting incentives.
An official from the Corporation said, “Problems with the Healthy Living Practice Subsidy System are being discussed internally and are in the process of improvement. “The focus will be on strengthening motivation,” he said. “We will continue to review the expansion of usage areas and strive to establish it as an effective project.”
