The Ministry of Veterans Affairs announced on July 28 that it has designated Kangwon National University Hospital and Jeju National University Hospital as semi-veterans hospitals to enhance medical access in the Gangwon and Jeju regions, where there are no veterans hospitals.
The two hospitals will begin providing semi-veterans hospital services starting December 1, following a necessary preparation period that includes system establishment.
A semi-veterans hospital is a public hospital that offers medical services equivalent to those of veterans hospitals, aimed at improving medical access in regions without veterans hospitals and establishing a veterans medical system capable of treating severe illnesses. This initiative is part of the veterans medical policy first promoted by the Lee Jae-myung administration.
To select the semi-veterans hospitals, the Ministry conducted a public recruitment process targeting national university hospitals and local medical centers in the Gangwon and Jeju regions, ultimately choosing the two hospitals with the highest scores.
Kangwon National University Hospital has been operating as a veterans consignment hospital since 1999, while Jeju National University Hospital has been doing so since 2002. With the designation as semi-veterans hospitals, the scope of eligible users and medical expense support for veterans has been expanded.
The semi-veterans hospitals will now include support for special duty veterans and their families, victims of the May 18 incident and their families, and long-serving veterans who were previously ineligible for services at consignment hospitals. Additionally, support for non-covered medical expenses, which were not funded at consignment hospitals, will now be available.
Furthermore, when using the semi-veterans hospitals, disabled veterans will receive full national funding for non-covered services equivalent to those supported at veterans hospitals. Non-disabled veterans and families of priority national veterans will be eligible for reduced medical expenses for specific non-covered services, such as MRI, ultrasound, and digestive aids, based on a reduction rate of 30% to 90% depending on the individual.
The Ministry plans to operate the semi-veterans hospitals as a pilot program for two years, after which it will analyze their effectiveness and consider formal operation.
With the designation of semi-veterans hospitals in the Gangwon and Jeju regions, over 65,000 veterans in Gangwon and more than 26,000 veterans in Jeju will directly benefit, and all national veterans across the country will also have access, significantly increasing the program's impact.
Kwon Oh-eul, Minister of Veterans Affairs, stated, “The selection of these semi-veterans hospitals is meaningful as it allows us to provide better veterans medical services to families in the Gangwon and Jeju regions who have faced inconveniences due to the lack of veterans hospitals. The government will do its utmost to create a closer and higher level of veterans medical service environment so that all national veterans can enjoy a healthy and honorable retirement.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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