[Editorial] Steadying Fund for Health Insurance Is the Key

Twenty-four lawmakers of the Grand National Party submitted to the National Assembly a revision of health insurance law centering on the separation of health insurance fund. Regarding this, the United Liberal Democrats agreed to `back up the passing of the law`, whereas the New Millennium Democratic Party decided on strong measures to object it, saying `it is not acceptable at all`. It is just a while ago that people experienced utter confusion and suffering caused by the great disturbance of medical service. It is a worry to us that the two labor unions and civic organizations are divided into two, each urging either `to accept` or `not to accept` the newly proposed revision of the law.

The problem of integrating health insurance has been pointed out for a long time. Even though the government had spoken of the reduction of premiums, the decrease of governmental support and the balanced levy of insurance premium to justify the integration of health insurance, but nothing among these has been successfully carried out. Insurance premiums have increased by over 50 percent in comparison with those before the integration, and this year`s financial deficit has reached up to 4 trillion won. In addition, the balanced levy of premium has never been successful because the income of the company insurance subscriber is revealed 100 percent, while the rate of grasping the income of the regional insurance subscriber marks below 30 percent.

As complaints of company insurance subscribers are heightened about the imbalanced levy of insurance premium, the government announced, when it set about National Health Insurance Corporation in July last year, that it would postpone the integration of funds until January 2002. But the govenment also presented an abnormal proposal in June this year that funds be integrated legally but managed separately in the account book. This indicates nothing but the government`s self-recognition that the integration of funds is not easy at all. It is understandable that the GNP lawmakers are criticizing it as a `scam intended to keep the presidential promise to integrate funds`.

But a dispute concerning integration or separation at this time will lead merely to another confusion. It is obvious that, if the integration of funds continues without solving problems, then the health insurance fund, which is suffering from a deficit, will encounter a worse condition that cannot be controlled at all. Nonetheless, to return to the starting point will increase the burden that people should bear. It is a specialist`s analysis that the separation of funds will cost at least the same amount as the integration has spent so far.

Accordingly, now is the time for the ruling and opposition parties to lay their heads to discuss how to revive the health insurance fund that is on the verge of bankruptcy. If the health insurance fund becomes stable, then the problem over the integration of funds will be solved automatically. More profound measures should be prepared regardless of a deadline since it has turned out difficult to integrate funds in January 2002. At the same, to increase the recognition rate of the income of regional insurance subscribers and to levy a fair insurance premium according to the income that one makes, no matter whether this person is a company worker or a private business owner, will unravel troubles and move up the integration of funds.