Determinants of long-term care insurance applications in South Korea

South Korea established universal long-term care insurance (LTCI) in 2008. However, actual requests for LTCI remain lower than government estimates because some eligible candidates never apply despite their strong care needs. This study aimed to examine factors affecting LTCI applications for older, community-dwelling Koreans.

Both individual- and community-level data were obtained from a national dataset from the Korea Health Panel Survey and the Korea National Statistical Office (N = 523). Data were analyzed using multilevel modeling.

Only 16.4% of older adults in need of care applied for LTCI. Those who applied were more likely to be older, report poor self-rated health, receive care from non-family caregivers, and have caregivers experiencing high levels of caregiving burden. Regional differences in LTCI applications existed concerning the financial condition of one's community.

Our study findings emphasize that Korean LTCI should implement both individual and community strategies to better assist older adults in properly acquiring LTCI. The government should make comprehensive efforts to increase access to LTCI in terms of availability, quality, cost, and information by collaborating with local centers.