Bill seeks to include dementia, renal failure, and heart failure patients in the hospice program

A bill has been proposed to include patients with dementia, renal failure, and heart failure as eligible for hospice and palliative care.

Rep. So Byung-hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea, a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, recently sponsored this amendment to the Act on Hospice and Palliative Care and Life-Sustaining Treatment Decisions for Patients in the Terminal Stage (Life-Sustaining Treatment Decision Act).

The amendment adds dementia, renal failure, and heart failure as diseases eligible for hospice and palliative care, enabling patients and their families to receive more dignified care during the terminal stage.

The current law only designates five conditions—cancer, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic liver cirrhosis, and chronic respiratory failure—as eligible for hospice and palliative care.

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends dementia and seven other conditions -- HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease, renal failure, neurological diseases, and tuberculosis. Major countries are also expanding eligibility to include patients with various chronic diseases.

The U.K., for instance, has expanded coverage to include most severe chronic diseases, such as heart disease and dementia, while Canada provides support for patients with respiratory and renal failure. Australia has expanded eligibility primarily for elderly chronic disease patients, while Taiwan has included dementia and rare diseases. Croatia broadly recognizes eligibility for conditions like kidney and liver disease.

The Central Hospice Center under the National Cancer Center also proposed last year that dementia, renal failure, and heart failure should be prioritized for expansion.

“Hospice care is not merely about extending a patient's remaining time; it is a system that helps alleviate suffering and enables a dignified end of life,” Rep. So said. “The legislative intent is to establish an institutional foundation so that patients with dementia, renal failure, and heart failure, along with their families, can prepare for a dignified conclusion.”

He continued, “I hope this amendment establishes a social safety net that reduces patient suffering and eases the caregiving burden on families.”