"Couldn't Even Consider Insurance for My Child... Hwaseong City Provides 2 Million Won Policy"

Hwaseong Receives Praise for Nation's First Public-Private Partnership 'Infant and Toddler Insurance'
City Offers Infant Medical Safety Net Beyond Birth Subsidies
"It Feels Like the City Is Cheering Our Baby's Birth"... Strong Response From Parents
Mayor Jung Myung-geun: "We Will Narrow the Starting Gap Through Infant and Toddler Insurance"

"We are a couple whose circumstances are not affluent enough to even go to the postpartum care center that everyone else visits. Because of our tight finances, including monthly loan repayments, I always felt sorry for my wife and baby. Then we received support through the 'Hwaseong City Infant and Toddler Insurance,' which became the most valuable gift for our newborn. It feels as if the city is cheering for our baby's new start right from the beginning, and I am truly grateful."

This is the story of a parent who could not even consider purchasing insurance for their child due to financial difficulties.

Another parent also shared, "Just buying formula, diapers, and baby products already meant too many expenses, so I couldn't even think about getting insurance." The parent added, "Thanks to guidance from the administrative welfare center, I received infant and toddler insurance worth about 2 million won, and now I worry less about hospital bills if my child gets sick. My friends from other areas are even envious that I live in Hwaseong."

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City, is experiencing the use of a fire extinguisher with children at the Children's Day Infant and Toddler Family Harmony Festival in Hwaseong Special City. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong Special City is garnering great support from households with newborns for its infant and toddler insurance support program for vulnerable families, which is being implemented for the first time in the nation. As this welfare policy provides long-term medical coverage for infants and toddlers—beyond a one-off birth subsidy—it is being recognized as a new social welfare model.

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jung Myung-geun) and Hwaseong Welfare Foundation announced on July 27 that since April, they have been carrying out a public-private partnership project—the first of its kind in Korea—providing insurance coverage worth about 2 million won per child to infants and toddlers from vulnerable households.

The program targets 48 households this year who receive livelihood, medical, or housing benefits and have at least one infant or toddler born on or after January 1. Each eligible household receives premium support worth about 2 million won per child.

The insurance plan is 'Guardian Angel Dream Tree Our Child Insurance,' a single-premium product jointly developed by Hwaseong Welfare Foundation and Tongyang Life. It covers surgery fees, hospitalization costs, treatment for illness and injury, and other expenses, thus alleviating the potential medical cost burden as the child grows.

The application procedure was also simplified. When a caregiver submits an application form, they visit the Hwaseong Family Center, where an insurance contract is completed in the presence of a staff member. Afterward, an insurance planner explains the coverage and contract details and helps finalize the enrollment process.

The 100 million won project budget was raised through a designated donation from Shinsung E&T, a Hwaseong-based company led by CEO Heo Heon. This is the nation's first public-private partnership infant and toddler insurance program involving the local government, welfare foundation, private business, and insurance company.

Private Health Insurance Enrollment Rate in 2024 (Household Basis) Announced by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. Provided by Hwaseong City

The motivation for Hwaseong City pursuing this project lies in the gap in medical safety nets depending on household income.

According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs' 2024 Korean Welfare Panel Survey, the private health insurance enrollment rate for low-income households is only 45.13%, about half that of the general population (91.63%). To address this structural problem, where medical cost burdens and the level of coverage vary significantly depending on financial circumstances, the city created a long-term medical coverage system instead of a one-off birth subsidy.

General and high-income households can adequately prepare for serious illnesses or high-cost medical bills through dual coverage by national health insurance and private insurance. However, low-income households without the means to pay insurance premiums are structurally forced to rely solely on public insurance and thus remain exposed to related risks.

Hwaseong City focused its policy on establishing a long-term medical guarantee system, rather than temporary cash grants, to solve such structural inequality. The city explains that this is a proactive welfare policy that builds a medical safety net for children, going beyond simply encouraging childbirth.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City, stated, "Even more important than being number one in the nation for births for three consecutive years is that every child, regardless of their parents' income, grows up healthy and safe. Through infant and toddler insurance, we aim to narrow the starting gap for children and create a Hwaseong where families do not need to worry about medical bills."

Jung Myung-keun, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City, is greeting children at the Together Care Center. Provided by Hwaseong City

He continued, "A truly top-ranking city is one where every child born in Hwaseong can grow up healthy and safe on equal footing regardless of parental income. Building on the city's experience as the first to establish a Basic Social Services Team nationwide, we will continue to serve as a strong support for local families through infant and toddler insurance so that no parent in Hwaseong has to worry about the cost of hospital care."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.