Issue Easing out-of-pocket medical costs as new medically vulnerable groups emerge

Summary

The report stresses the need to ease the economic burden of medical costs. Growing numbers of older people and single-person households on low incomes face rising burdens for mental health and care, which could create new medically vulnerable groups. Medical aid, catastrophic medical expense support and wider health insurance coverage have been pursued, yet coverage remains low because of blind spots and pressures on insurance finances. Support schemes for poor and low-income groups are poorly aligned, and applying property criteria to insurance premiums weighs heavily on older households. The report proposes wider coverage with stable financing, relief of medical costs linked to premium levels, and wider coverage of essential care among non-covered services with lower out-of-pocket payments.