South Korea expands specialty food support for rare disease patients

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has expanded support for specialty foods for patients with rare diseases. Through a partnership with CJ CheilJedang and the Korea Rare and Intractable Diseases Association, the agency has established a purchasing support system for low-protein instant rice aimed at patients with 28 types of congenital metabolic disorders, including classic phenylketonuria.

Previously, adult patients faced significant challenges due to limited supply and high costs, often paying over 10,000 KRW per unit for products that retail for approximately 1,700 KRW. Under the new system, patients can pre-order up to 1,248 units annually at the stable price of 1,700 KRW per unit. The KDCA estimates this could save individual patients between 8.48 million and 14.10 million KRW per year.

The KDCA plans to conduct a survey on the demand for various specialty foods through February 2025 to ensure stable supply and support for other necessary dietary items. Additionally, the agency intends to phase out income and property criteria for dependents starting January 1, 2027, to lower the threshold for medical expense support, eventually expanding this to all rare diseases by 2028.