Samsung Life launches senior health insurance covering Leqembi side effects

Samsung Life Insurance is launching a health insurance product for seniors with expanded coverage for dementia treatment and brain and joint diseases.

Samsung Life Insurance said Wednesday it will release the "Samsung Senior Representative Health Insurance" on Thursday, designed to reflect growing demand for health coverage as South Korea enters a super-aged society.

The product builds on the existing "Samsung Well-Aging Health Insurance," which centered on dementia and long-term care coverage, by adding protection for brain and joint diseases. It is designed to provide broad coverage for conditions that occur frequently among senior customers.

Coverage for the full course of dementia treatment has also been strengthened. The product introduces an industry-first rider — the "Integrated Targeted Dementia Treatment Coverage Rider" — covering treatment with the targeted Alzheimer's drug Leqembi as well as cerebral hemorrhage side effects.

The addition reflects a broader shift in Alzheimer's treatment away from symptom management and toward slowing disease progression, helping policyholders prepare for the financial burden that can arise during treatment.

Coverage for brain diseases that may occur alongside dementia has also been expanded. Related brain conditions are included as riders, with coverage tiered across mild, moderate and severe stages. A newly added "Specific Joint Disease and Injury Coverage Rider" expands protection for major joint conditions — including the knee, shoulder, wrist and ankle — that are common among senior customers.

The product is also structured to lower premium costs. It applies a no-surrender-value declining-premium structure that allows policyholders to pay more heavily before retirement and reduce their premium burden afterward. If a policy is canceled during the premium payment period, no surrender value is paid out, but premiums are correspondingly lower. The product is offered in three underwriting types — standard, health-disclosure and simplified-disclosure — so customers can choose the option that best fits their health status.

"We are moving beyond an era of simply covering dementia diagnosis, and comprehensive protection that addresses disease-slowing treatment, side effects and lifestyle conditions is becoming increasingly important," a Samsung Life Insurance official said. "We plan to continue expanding our product lineup."

Meanwhile, Samsung Life Insurance has been steadily building out its senior health coverage lineup, having earlier launched the "Samsung 4180 Life Representative Health Insurance," which covers dementia diagnosis and treatment costs for customers between the ages of 41 and 80.