Note on market scope: This article covers materials from both Korea and the United States. Each piece of information is labeled 🇰🇷 Korea or 🇺🇸 U.S. in the text to indicate which country it applies to.
Small changes have come to the homes where parents live alone. A sensor that quietly detects breathing. An AI robot that gently reminds them when it is time to take their medication. A system that sends an alert to a child's smartphone the moment something unusual happens in the middle of the night. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but as of 2026, both Korea and the United States have placed these technologies at the center of public policy. In a reality where the caregiving workforce is shrinking, AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) are no longer a matter of choice — they are becoming a matter of institutional framework.
🇰🇷 Korea In April 2026, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Science and ICT jointly announced the 'AI 돌봄기술 전주기 지원 전략 (AI Caregiving Technology Full-Cycle Support Strategy)' at the 7th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting. The core of this strategy is to use AI to eliminate blind spots in care and improve efficiency. A 'smart home' model is being introduced for private residences, linking AI and IoT devices to monitor the health status and activity of older adults in real time. Even during the hours when visiting care workers are away, AI can detect warning signs around the clock and enable rapid response in emergencies.
🇰🇷 Korea A 'smart facility' model is being applied to long-term care institutions and similar settings. AI will assist workers with repetitive documentation tasks, and nighttime rounding duties will be partly replaced by monitoring systems. Looking further ahead, the plan also includes developing 'physical AI' that integrates robotics to directly perform physical caregiving tasks — such as assisting older adults with mobility. The government's direction is to transform the caregiving paradigm through a 'full-cycle support' approach that connects technology development, pilot demonstration, and regulatory improvement.
🇰🇷 Korea Local governments are also moving actively. In May 2026, the Seoul Welfare Foundation announced the 6 institutions selected for its '돌봄서비스 디지털 전환 지원 사업 (Care Services Digital Transformation Support Project)' and launched full operations. Out of 40 institutions that applied, the 6 selected facilities are set to receive three key technologies: AI-based smart home systems, robotic lifting assistance devices, and wearable exoskeleton suits. Each facility will receive a budget of approximately 7 million won along with specialized technical support. Gyeonggi-do has also announced its '경기노인 AI+돌봄 (Gyeonggi Senior AI+Care)' plan, which includes designating 'AI Senior Care Towns' and introducing an AI companionship service for older adults, declaring a shift from in-person follow-up care toward an AI-based preventive management system.
🇺🇸 U.S. In the United States, CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) officially launched the ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) model on July 5, 2026. This 10-year voluntary payment model targets chronic conditions — including hypertension, diabetes, chronic musculoskeletal pain, and depression — that affect more than two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries. It provides performance-linked payments to healthcare organizations that manage patients using technology-based services such as telehealth, wearable devices, and digital apps. At the time of launch, more than 150 technology companies and healthcare organizations had already applied to participate.
🇺🇸 U.S. Under the ACCESS model, Medicare beneficiaries can participate voluntarily through a referral from their primary care physician or by applying directly, and their existing Medicare rights and benefits remain fully intact. Services provided by participating organizations include lifestyle coaching, remote monitoring, use of wearables, and medication management, with little to no out-of-pocket cost for patients. Separately, CMS is also running the WISeR pilot program in 6 states that year, in which AI makes prior authorization decisions for Medicaid patients; concerns have been raised about delays in approvals and rising denial rates, and policy discussion is ongoing.
The two countries share a common direction, yet differ in approach. Korea focuses on 'supply-side innovation' — using AI and robots to compensate for a shortage of care workers — while the United States leads with a 'performance-based payment' model that integrates technology into chronic disease management. What they share is the understanding that technology is not meant to fully replace human caregiving, but rather to serve as a supportive tool that reduces blind spots and helps workers focus on the more important work of direct, in-person care. Challenges such as cost accessibility, regional disparities, and personal data protection remain works in progress in both countries.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Science and ICT, 'AI 돌봄기술 전주기 지원 전략' announcement (April 16, 2026); Seoul Welfare Foundation, '돌봄서비스 디지털 전환 지원 사업' (May 2026); Gyeonggi-do, '경기노인 AI+돌봄 추진계획'; Nurses' Newspaper (April 17, 2026); National Workforce Newspaper (July 2026); CMS official press release, 'ACCESS Model' (CMS.gov, July 2026); ChartSpan and ArentFox Schiff analysis materials (2026); USC Schaeffer Center, 'Medicare AI pilot' (February 2026).
Note: This article was compiled by AI from the sources cited above. We strive for accuracy, but for decisions about your specific situation, please confirm the latest guidance from a professional or the relevant agency.