Lawmaker Introduces Bills to Make Caregiving Costs Tax‑Deductible and Covered by Medical Aid

On June 6, Park Yong‑gap, a Democratic Party lawmaker from Daejeon Jung‑gu, announced he has filed a set of amendment bills aimed at reducing the financial burden of caregiving on patients and families. The proposals would incorporate caregiving expenses into the Medical Aid Act and the National Health Insurance Act, allowing such costs to be paid as medical benefits. In addition, the amendment to the Inheritance and Gift Tax Act would permit heirs to deduct the actual caregiving expenses they incurred for a parent’s treatment, nursing or care from the taxable inheritance estate. The initiative responds to growing social concern over excessive caregiving costs amid rapid population aging, noting that current legislation does not explicitly cover caregiving within medical or long‑term care benefit scopes.