Nat'l health insurance runs deficit in Q1

In the first quarter of 2026, South Korea's national health insurance system experienced a deficit of approximately 4 trillion won, or $2.8 billion, according to recent data. This deficit marks the potential return of an annual net loss for the insurance fund, which has not been in the red since 2020. The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) reported that it earned 22.4 trillion won while spending 26.3 trillion won during the January to March period, resulting in a shortfall of roughly 3.9 trillion won.

The overall reserve pool has dwindled from 30.2 trillion won at the end of 2025 to a current 26.3 trillion won. Since 2018, the NHIS has operated with deficits from 2018 to 2020, followed by a surplus of 2.8 trillion won in 2021. Subsequent surpluses reached 3.6 trillion won in 2022 and 4.1 trillion won in 2023. However, gains for the year dropped to 1.7 trillion won in 2024 and further declined to 499.6 billion won last year.

In February 2024, the ministry of health had forecasted a net loss for the NHIS in 2026. The fiscal outlook for the insurance system is anticipated to be further impacted by government policies.