Nursing care costs drop to $13 a day as integrated service expands to regional top hospitals

Starting this month, top-tier hospitals outside Greater Seoul may operate integrated nursing care wards without restriction.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Sunday that it had fully lifted the cap on participation in the integrated nursing care service program for upper-level general hospitals outside Greater Seoul. Previously, hospitals both inside and outside the capital region were limited to running the service in a maximum of four wards. The removal of that ceiling means regional hospitals could expand their integrated nursing care capacity by as much as fivefold, easing the financial burden on patients and their families.

Hospitals within Greater Seoul will remain subject to the four-ward limit.

The integrated nursing care service allows hospitalized patients to receive professional care from nurses and nursing assistants without relying on a private caregiver or a family member staying at the bedside.

The program significantly reduces out-of-pocket caregiving costs while providing a higher standard of professional nursing.

In practice, patients using the service save an estimated 108,000 won ($72) per day in caregiving costs, the ministry said. Based on last year's figures, the combined daily cost of hospitalization and private caregiving stood at 130,000 won ($86). Under the integrated service, patients pay only 22,000 won ($15) in hospital fees — roughly one-sixth of the previous out-of-pocket expense.

Demand for the integrated nursing care service has been growing steadily among patients and their families. Despite the recognized need for expansion, however, slowing participation growth and regional disparities prompted the ministry to prioritize rollout in areas outside Greater Seoul first.

The ministry said it expects the removal of the ward cap to meaningfully expand access to integrated nursing care in regions where the service has been in short supply.