Parents of children under the age of two will no longer bear out-of-pocket expenses if their child is hospitalized in Korea in 2024.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the partial amendment to the National Health Insurance Act, which includes such content, was approved in a cabinet meeting on Monday.

This is one of the initiatives announced by the “Committee on Low Birth Rates and Aging Society” in March this year. Previously, the scope for children with zero expenses when hospitalized only included newborns within 28 days after birth.

Furthermore, the support ratio for emergency medical expenses for the vulnerable population under the National Health Insurance Act has been raised from 15 percent to 65 percent.

Also, the National Health Insurance Service has been given the authority to collect and pay the equivalent loss and its interest that occurred during the execution suspension period, such as drug price reductions, from drug manufacturers and related entities.