South Korea's national health insurance will provide greater coverage for the treatment of infertility and serious dementia starting in October, the health ministry said Tuesday, which is in line with the government's effort to reduce financial burdens on patients.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the revision to the relevant law was passed during a Cabinet meeting.

Under the revision, patients suffering from serious dementia will only be required to pay 10 percent of medical expenses and the rest will be covered by the state, officials said.

Also, medical expenses for infertility tests, including semen analysis, hormone testing and biopsies, will be covered by national health insurance.
 

Female patients will pay 30 percent of the treatment's price, while those in low-income brackets will pay only 14 percent of the total cost, the ministry said.

Earlier, the government expanded the budget to spend more on subsidies for infertility treatment for couples wanting to have children, as the country tries to curb its low birthrate.

The ministry forecasts about 407,000 infants will be born this year, with the country's fertility rate, or the average number of babies that a woman is projected to have during her lifetime, dropping to 1.2.

The number of couples seeking medical help for infertility increased from 178,000 in 2006 to 215,000 in 2015, the ministry said. More than 200,000 Koreans are diagnosed with fertility problems after trying for more than one year to conceive a child. (Yonhap)