Seoul hospitalization living expense applications rise 21%

Applications for the ‘Seoul-style hospitalization living expenses’ program have increased by 21.1% between January and August this year compared to the same period last year. The program provides income support to individuals who struggle to take paid sick leave, such as self-employed workers, freelancers, daily laborers, and mobile workers, when they are hospitalized or undergoing national health checkups.

Between January and August, 5,132 applications were filed, resulting in 4,375 actual payments totaling approximately 3.23 billion KRW, a 27.7% increase from the previous year. Since the program's inception in 2019, cumulative payments have reached 40,950 cases totaling 24.66 billion KRW.

To expand the social safety net, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has implemented several improvements. The daily support amount was raised from 94,230 KRW to 96,960 KRW. Additionally, the asset threshold for eligibility was increased from 350 million KRW to 400 million KRW, and the calculation period for labor or business income was expanded to include all days from the first of the month of hospitalization until the day before admission.

Eligible citizens must be residents of Seoul, registered as local subscribers to the National Health Insurance, and have an income at or below 100% of the median income. The city is also utilizing AI chatbots to provide 24-hour guidance on application eligibility.