Kyobo Life wins 6-month exclusive rights for stroke intensive care unit coverage rider

Kyobo Life announced Thursday that its "covered stroke intensive care unit inpatient treatment rider," part of the "Kyobo My Plan Health Insurance II (non-dividend)" product, has received a six-month exclusive usage right from the Korea Life Insurance Association.

The rider is distinguished by its separate coverage for inpatient treatment in covered stroke intensive care units, filling a protection gap between general wards and intensive care units. The association's new product review committee recognized the rider for its originality and usefulness, Kyobo Life said.

An exclusive usage right is a system that restricts other insurers from selling similar products for a set period in order to protect the interests of a company that has developed an original insurance product. The exclusive right for this rider is valid through March 31 next year.

Customers who receive covered stroke intensive care unit treatment as defined in the policy terms during the coverage period will receive 100 percent of the rider's insured amount, up to once per year. Coverage applies to medical services listed in the policy's treatment classification table and is limited to cases where covered items arise through national health insurance or medical aid procedures.

Cerebrovascular disease ranked fourth among leading causes of death last year, behind cancer, heart disease and pneumonia. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of stroke patients has been rising, from 591,946 in 2018 to 634,177 in 2022. Atherosclerosis is cited as the leading cause of stroke.

Stroke intensive care units are dedicated spaces that continuously monitor and provide specialized treatment for acute-phase patients whose condition can change rapidly in the early stages of a stroke. Specialist medical staff closely track blood pressure, oxygen saturation, electrocardiograms and neurological status to detect deterioration early and support treatment and rehabilitation.

According to Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service statistics, the number of patients using such units rose about 34 percent, from 28,166 in 2024 to 37,686 in 2025.

Kyobo Life spent 11 months from October last year through August this year preparing the product, with a dedicated team handling planning, statistical analysis, risk rate development, regulatory approval and sales. The company said it reviewed coverage scope and limits with input from medical experts and improved the product's quality through cross-departmental collaboration.

Kyobo My Plan Health Insurance, which debuted in 2024, is a comprehensive health insurance product that lets customers select the riders they need based on their health condition and financial situation. Riders covering cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation, and electrocardioversion, each previously received six-month exclusive usage rights. In August, Kyobo Life launched Kyobo My Plan Health Insurance II (non-dividend), which retains the flexible coverage design of the original while lowering premiums for customers in their 30s and 40s and expanding coverage for older policyholders.

Meanwhile, Kyobo Life earlier secured a separate six-month exclusive usage right from the Korea Life Insurance Association for the "combined underwriting rider" included in its "Kyobo K-Custom Health Insurance (non-dividend, combined underwriting type)." The rider allows customers to apply for coverage in a single application by separating healthy conditions under standard underwriting from those ineligible for standard underwriting under simplified underwriting, all within one product. The company said the rider reduces unnecessary premium surcharges and lays the groundwork for closing coverage gaps.