A parent of a child with developmental delay during national audit. (Image courtesy of the Family Coalition for Protection of the Rights of Children with Developmental Delays)
SEOUL, Nov. 2 (Korea Bizwire) – Despite the recent surge in the number of children with developmental delays, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, they are now at risk of not receiving proper treatment as both the government and insurance companies seem to be turning their backs on these children.
According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of children with developmental delays has increased by a striking 85 percent, rising from 74,377 in 2018 to 137,838 in 2022.
The primary factors contributing to this surge include the heightened societal awareness of developmental delays, which has led to increased demand for treatment, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of in-person school classes and the disruption of social interactions with peers, the number of cases in which children face challenges in their normal development has grown.
Developmental delays do not constitute diseases or disorders; rather, they pertain to young children who fail to meet developmental milestones within the expected timeframe. If a child lags behind by 25 percent in the development of motor skills, cognition, and language, they are diagnosed with developmental delays.
While proper treatment can improve developmental delays, the timing of such treatment is critical, as delaying it can lead to further deterioration.
Consequently, many parents of children with developmental delays go to great lengths, even resorting to taking on debt or working part-time jobs, to ensure their children receive timely and appropriate treatment.
Parents of children with developmental delays protesting in front of the National Assembly. (Image courtesy of the Family Coalition for Protection of the Rights of Children with Developmental Delays)
The challenge lies in the fact that the cost of treatment for developmental delays is not covered by health insurance since they are not classified as diseases or disorders. As a result, parents have no choice but to rely on support from private insurance companies selling child-specific insurance products.
Moreover, the sale of such products is under threat. Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, a dominant player in the domestic children’s indemnity insurance market, decided back in May to reject payments for developmental delay treatment costs unless the treatment is provided by professionals with national licenses. This decision stems from the prevalence of cases where brokers exploited indemnity insurance for developmental delay treatment, resulting in inappropriate and excessive treatments.
Among developmental delay therapists, the number holding national licenses is limited, while the majority hold private licenses.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
