The rate of people in vulnerable classes who die the following year after developing cardiovascular disease is 1.5 to 2 times higher than the general population, according to data.

Rep. Seo Myung-ok of the ruling People Power Party said so based on her analysis of National Health Insurance Service data.

According to Seo, of the 42,741 medical benefit recipients treated for acute myocardial infarction last year, 2,226 died by mid-October, recording a mortality rate of 5.21 percent.

During the same period, 2,934 of 134,046 health insurance-covered patients with acute myocardial infarction died, for a 2.19 percent mortality rate, making the average mortality rate for medical benefit recipients more than twice as high as for insurance-covered patients.

Regarding cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke), medical benefit recipients also had a 5.65 percent mortality rate (6,595 out of 116,734), 1.5 times higher than the 3.54 percent mortality rate (18,219 out of 514,551) for insurance subscribers.

Although the causes of their deaths were not identified, the mortality rate was higher among medical recipients for both diseases, suggesting a lack of medical support for vulnerable populations.

“Cardiovascular diseases require continuous treatment, even if the acute phase symptoms disappear immediately, as there is an ever-present risk of worsening symptoms,” Rep. Seo said. “State support, including extending the special period for calculating cardiovascular diseases and supporting treatment costs for vulnerable people, is needed so that they are not deprived of the opportunity for continuous treatment due to financial reasons.”