You Got a Free Dementia Screening, but Treatment-Cost Support Needs a Separate Application — Eligibility, Income Limits, and the Monthly Amount

Dementia Early Screening, Stage 1 — Why the Basic Test Is Free

Any resident aged 60 or older who is concerned about memory loss, or simply wants to check, can walk into their local Dementia Safety Center with nothing but an ID. The stage-1 screening test (a cognitive screening tool such as the CIST) is administered directly by center staff, so no medical fee is charged and anyone can take it for free. If the result suggests cognitive decline, the person moves straight to stage 2.

If Decline Is Found — Diagnostic and Differential Tests Cost Money, but Are Subsidized

People flagged at the screening stage move to a partner hospital linked to the Dementia Safety Center for a diagnostic test (neurocognitive testing and a specialist exam) followed by a differential test (blood work, brain imaging, and similar exams). From this point actual medical fees apply, but for people aged 60 or older (including early-onset cases) whose household income is at or below 120% of the standard median income, up to 150,000 won is covered for the diagnostic test, and up to 80,000 won at clinics/general hospitals or 110,000 won at tertiary hospitals is covered for the differential test. What these cognitive tests and brain scans actually look for is covered in more detail in How Alzheimer's Is Diagnosed.

Where People Get Confused — Screening and Treatment-Cost Support Are Different Programs

Here is the catch. Even after diagnostic and differential testing leads to a formal dementia diagnosis and a prescription for dementia medication, the dementia treatment-cost subsidy is not automatically linked to the screening process. The screening subsidy covers 'testing costs,' while the treatment-cost subsidy covers 'the patient's share of drug and consultation fees' — they are entirely separate programs, and a new application is required for the second one. If nobody explained this when you picked up the screening results, the only option is to contact your local public health center directly and ask about the application process.

Who Qualifies for Treatment-Cost Support — Age 60+ and an Active Prescription

To qualify for treatment-cost support, a person must be registered as a dementia patient at their local public health center (Dementia Safety Center) based on their registered address, be aged 60 or older (including early-onset cases), and be currently taking dementia medication prescribed after a formal diagnosis at a medical institution. If someone has only been diagnosed but has not yet been prescribed medication, they do not qualify for this particular program — a distinction worth checking before applying.

The Income Limit Is 140% of Median Income — but Actual Local Rules Vary

The central government's recommended guideline is a household income at or below 140% of the standard median income, but actual enforcement depends on each local government's budget. Some municipalities already apply a more relaxed threshold than 140%, or provide support regardless of income. Others, working with tighter budgets, keep the original threshold in place. Do not skip the step of confirming the exact income and asset criteria with your local public health center. This income-based structure has something in common with the copayment reduction rules that apply once someone is approved for a long-term care grade, so it is worth checking both together.

The Support Amount Is 30,000 Won a Month, Capped at 360,000 Won a Year — What It Actually Covers

The subsidy covers the patient's out-of-pocket share of the insured portion of dementia treatment costs, up to 30,000 won a month and 360,000 won a year, as an actual-cost reimbursement. Covered items are the out-of-pocket cost of dementia medication and the out-of-pocket consultation fee on the day the prescription is issued; non-covered items such as upgraded hospital room fees are excluded. It is not a large sum, but for a household managing a family member's ongoing medication, it chips away at a fixed monthly cost. Because it works by reimbursing part of an out-of-pocket cost after the fact, the mechanism is similar in principle to the reimbursement structure of the smoking-cessation treatment support program.

How to Apply and What to Prepare — Rolling Applications at Your Local Health Center

Treatment-cost support can be applied for year-round, through whichever method is most convenient: an in-person visit, mail, fax, or email to the public health center (Dementia Safety Center) covering your registered address. The documents to prepare are an application form, a copy of a bank account passbook in the applicant's name, that year's dementia medication prescription or pharmacy receipt, a copy of the resident registration, a health-insurance premium payment confirmation and a copy of the health insurance card, and prior consent for an income/asset review. Once the documents are submitted, the health center checks whether the income and asset criteria are met, selects the person as a support recipient, and the subsidy is then paid out through the National Health Insurance Service. Families also preparing a long-term care grade application because mobility has become difficult would do well to look into the long-term care grade application process around the same time.

Summary

①If you are 60 or older, bring an ID to a Dementia Safety Center and start with the free screening test. ②If it flags cognitive decline, you'll get a diagnostic and differential test at a partner hospital; at or below 120% of median income, up to roughly 150,000–260,000 won of the testing cost is covered. ③After a formal dementia diagnosis and prescription, treatment-cost support must be applied for separately at your local public health center, and the income guideline (140% of median income, recommended) can be applied differently by municipality. ④The subsidy is capped at 30,000 won a month and 360,000 won a year and only covers the out-of-pocket cost of dementia medication, so confirm your exact eligibility and local rules with your public health center or the Dementia Helpline (1899-9988). This article summarizes the general procedures for dementia screening and treatment-cost support programs and does not substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment; decisions about diagnosis and medication should always be made together with your treating physician.