What Else Is Needed in the Korean Government’s Master Plan for People With Developmental Disabilities?

Abstract

On September 12, 2018, President Jae-In Moon announced the Comprehensive Plan for Lifelong Care for People with Developmental Disabilities, with representatives from the associated government branches (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Employment and Labor) in attendance. The goals of this plan are to provide health, medical, rehabilitative, special education, and social welfare services according to the life-stages of the affected individuals; to reduce parental pressure; to promote social interventions; and to enhance community-level participation in order to create a ‘welfare society in harmony.’ However, in order for the plan to succeed, additional efforts must be made in the following areas. First, an epidemiological survey is needed to understand the scale, prevalence, and incidence of developmental disabilities and to establish an evidence base to support policy development. Second, accurate definitions of developmental disabilities must be established in order to avoid policy discrimination based on impairment type and age. Third, personal evaluations to assess disabled individuals’ unmet needs and customized service designs to deliver those needs are required. Fourth, the plan must fulfill the goals of accessibility and fairness that the government intends to provide. Fifth, the government should consider an integrated financial support system and to propose a detailed plan for monetary distributions. Finally, an integrated system that links health, medical, employment, educational, and welfare services must be constructed.

Factors Underlying Unmet Medical Needs: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…The main cause of unmet medical needs was found to be financial reasons in other countries as well, including Greece, Italy, Poland, and Portugal [37,38]. In South Korea, Medicaid recipients are low-income individuals who are eligible for coverage when they require medical services due to disease, injury, or pregnancy [39]. The fact that Medicaid recipients experience unmet medical needs suggests that the NHI does not provide financially sufficient coverage.…”

Determining the reasons for unmet healthcare needs in South Korea: a secondary data analysis

“…(2) Enabling factors These factors refer to the resources available to individuals and communities that facilitate access to medical services. Of these, this study included region (Seoul, metropolitan, or rural areas) [ 26 , 27 ], employment status (“yes” or “no”), occupation type (“white collar,” “pink collar,” “blue collar,” or “unemployed or other”), income (i.e., income quartile; 4Q–1Q), health insurance type (“National Health Insurance [NHI],” “Medicaid,” or “no/do not know;” in South Korea, Medicaid is a type of health insurance funded by the federal and local government that provides health coverage for people with low income) [ 28 ], and whether the respondent had private insurance (“yes,” “no,” or “do not know”) [ 29 ]. By examining the enabling factors concerning region, employment type, income, and others, the uneven distribution of medical resources, which has been identified as a major challenge in South Korea, could be analyzed [ 27 ].…”

The relationship between spinal pain and temporomandibular joint disorders in Korea: a nationwide propensity score-matched study

“…The regions were classified into Seoul, capital area, metropolitan area, and other areas [28]. Types of insurance were classified as NHI and others (Medicaid); in Korea, Medicaid is a type of health insurance funded by the federal and local governments that provides health coverage for people with low incomes [29]. CCI was initially designed to predict mortality and has been widely used for researchers to measure the burden of disease [30, 31].…”