In the first budget of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the national treasury support rate for health insurance was 14.2%, which is actually a decrease from the previous year. The government is required to support 20% of the estimated annual health insurance premium revenue according to the Health Insurance Act, but it has not complied with the legal ratio for 18 years from 2007 to 2024. The accumulated unpaid amount during this period amounts to approximately 22 trillion won. The government has artificially lowered the estimated health insurance premium revenue and reduced the support rate based on ambiguous expressions such as 'appropriate'. As a result, the financial status of health insurance is deteriorating, and the coverage rate is significantly lower than the OECD average. Experts point out that restructuring the national treasury support system is urgent for building a stable social safety net, and they demand institutional improvements such as using confirmed budget standards and retroactive adjustments when the legal ratio is not met.
