2027 health insurance premium rate frozen at 7.19% — co-payment rate for rare and severe intractable diseases cut from 10% to 7%
Source material is a Korean government announcement (in Korean).
The 2027 health insurance premium rate has been frozen at 7.19%, the same as in 2026, and from December 2026 the health insurance co-payment rate for 1.36 million people with rare diseases and severe intractable diseases falls from 10% to 7%.
Key facts
| Premium rate | Frozen at 7.19% for 2027 (the same as 2026). The amount per property premium point for locally insured subscribers is also kept at 211.5 won |
|---|---|
| Decision process | The 'Stage 1 innovation plan for health insurance coverage' and the '2027 health insurance premium rate decision' were approved at the 15th Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee meeting of 2026 on September 8, 2026 |
| Co-payment rate for rare and severe intractable diseases | From December 2026, 10% → 7% (1.36 million people); a further cut to 5% in the first half of 2028 |
| Projected out-of-pocket cost | Annual average per person: 750,000 won at present → 530,000 won in 2027 → around 390,000 won in 2028 |
| Scale of support | Up to 800 billion won a year for 1.97 million people, including those with severe, rare and intractable diseases |
| Severe diabetes | Support for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors extended from type 1 to severe type 2 diabetes — about 11,000 people newly benefiting |
| Dental coverage | From January 2027, support for 2 implants for completely edentulous people aged 65 and over (about 70,000 people, about 2.28 million won per person). The age range for light-cured composite resin goes from 5–12 years to 5–13 years |
| Enquiries | Ministry of Health and Welfare, Insurance Policy Division 044-202-2704 |
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The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) said that the 15th Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee (건강보험정책심의위원회) meeting of 2026, held on September 8, 2026, approved the 'Stage 1 innovation plan for health insurance coverage' (건강보험 보장 1단계 혁신방안) and the '2027 health insurance premium rate decision' (2027년도 건강보험료율 결정안). The 2027 health insurance premium rate is frozen at 7.19%, the same as in 2026, and the amount per property premium point for locally insured subscribers is also kept at 211.5 won. On the coverage side, from December 2026 the health insurance co-payment rate for 1.36 million people with rare diseases and severe intractable diseases falls from 10% to 7%, with a further cut to 5% in the first half of 2028. Support for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors for patients with severe diabetes is extended from type 1 to severe type 2 diabetes, and from January 2027 completely edentulous people aged 65 and over can also receive health insurance support for 2 dental implants. The ministry said that this expansion of coverage will provide up to 800 billion won a year to 1.97 million people, including those with severe, rare and intractable diseases.
Background — why this change
The Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) explained that the freeze in the premium rate took comprehensive account of the fact that the health insurance current-year balance has stayed in surplus over the past 5 years, that reserves of 30.2 trillion won — equivalent to 3.5 months — were held as of the end of 2025, and that government support for 2027 increases by about 1.1 trillion won. The re-registration procedure for the special calculation scheme for rare and severe intractable diseases is also being improved: about 340,000 people with 312 diseases, who until now had to submit separate test results in addition to a clinical diagnosis, will be able to re-register on the basis of a clinical diagnosis and, where necessary, treatment history, even without test results. Improvements to the criteria for 9 diseases, including Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, were completed in January 2026, the improved criteria apply to 95 diseases, including Guillain-Barré syndrome, from September 2026, and the plan is to complete improvements to the re-registration criteria for a total of 146 diseases by 2027.
Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.
FAQ
What is the 2027 health insurance premium rate?
It has been frozen at 7.19%, the same as in 2026. The amount per property premium point for locally insured subscribers is also kept at 211.5 won.
When does the co-payment rate for people with rare diseases fall?
From December 2026 the co-payment rate for 1.36 million people with rare diseases and severe intractable diseases falls from 10% to 7%, with a further cut to 5% in the first half of 2028.
How does implant support for older people change?
From January 2027, older people aged 65 and over who have no teeth at all in the upper or lower jaw can also receive health insurance support for 2 implants. However, those who have already received health insurance support for full dentures can receive implant support only after 7 years have passed since that support.