Fewer low-income earners in South Korea have benefited from the national health insurance program’s increased coverage of expenses related to the “four major diseases” that require costly treatment, including cancer and heart disease, while high-income earners recouped far more benefits from the policy, according to Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo’s office.

The four serious diseases are cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and a total of 138 incurable conditions such as Crohn’s disease.

According to the lawmaker of the main opposition party, only 19.9 percent of the patients who belong to the poorest 30 percent of the population benefited from the program, while 41.5 percent of the patients who belong to the wealthiest 30 percent grabbed the

benefits from July last year to March.

Rep. Ahn said many low-income earners cannot afford to pay for treatment, as the four major diseases, even with the aid of increased coverage by the state-run agency, are expensive to treat.