Bill aims to help couples who missed pre-registration deadlines for prenatal health screening support

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who represents Seongnam's Bundang-gap district, introduced a bill Thursday that would allow couples to apply retroactively for government subsidies covering pre-pregnancy health screening costs, even if they did not register before undergoing the tests.

Under current law, the government may provide support to help people overcome health issues related to infertility, miscarriage and stillbirth. As part of that framework, the government runs a pre-pregnancy health management support project that subsidizes ultrasound, hormone and fertility tests for couples planning to conceive, with the aim of preventing infertility and miscarriage.

The existing system, however, only covers costs when couples register at a public health center before their tests, and some have missed the deadline simply because they were unaware of the requirement. Ahn noted that while retroactive support is already permitted for certain welfare programs — including home childcare allowances, medical expense assistance and vaccination cost subsidies — the pre-pregnancy screening project has applied the pre-registration requirement strictly, prompting calls for reform.

The proposed amendment would establish a legal basis for retroactive reimbursement, allowing people who have already undergone pre-pregnancy health screenings to apply for subsidies within a set period after the date of their tests.

"I hope this amendment will close the gaps in pregnancy and childbirth support policy and allow more prospective parents to receive meaningful assistance," Ahn said.


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