Market scope note: This article covers materials from both Korea and the United States. Each piece of information is marked in the text with 🇰🇷 Korea (Korea) or 🇺🇸 U.S. (United States) to indicate which country it applies to.
How wonderful it would be if your parents could live longer and more safely in the home they know so well. Telehealth and smart-home care technology are precisely what is turning that wish into reality. In 2026, both Korea and the United States announced important policy changes in this space. Today we will look at the developments in each country side by side.
🇰🇷 Korea On May 6, 2026, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (보건복지부) announced the selection of implementing organizations for the 'AX Sprint Project (AI 응용 제품 신속 상용화 지원 사업 — AI Application Product Rapid Commercialization Support Project)', which formally applies artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to frontline care settings. The NHN Consortium was selected for the smart-home area, and the People & Technology Consortium (피플앤드테크놀러지 컨소시엄) for the smart social-welfare facility area; a combined budget of nearly 10 billion won has been allocated across the two areas. The core goal of the smart-home task is to use AI and IoT technology to provide 24-hour safety, emotional support, and health services to people who need care — such as elderly individuals living alone — while the smart social-welfare facility task is designed so that AI continuously monitors residents' activity levels, sleep patterns, vital signs, and other indicators, and immediately alerts the staff member in charge if any abnormality is detected.
🇰🇷 Korea This initiative goes beyond a simple pilot: the implementation plan envisions registering the developed technologies as government-procurement items for broader adoption. The welfare and care data and demonstration infrastructure held by the government and the Korea Social Security Information Service (한국사회보장정보원) are also to be made open. The Ministry plans to release an AI and IoT utilization roadmap in the second half of this year, covering service models, R&D tasks, and approaches for linking budgetary fee schedules. Experts note that the regulatory framework, fee-schedule structure, and standardization and certification criteria must keep pace with the speed of technological development.
🇺🇸 U.S. In the United States, the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 extended Medicare telehealth benefit flexibilities through December 31, 2027. As a result, Medicare beneficiaries can continue to receive non-mental-health telehealth services from their homes without geographic restrictions. Audio-only telehealth visits — for seniors who have difficulty using or who do not consent to video-call devices — are also permitted through the end of 2027. The American Medical Association (AMA) expressed strong support for this extension, emphasizing that telehealth is especially important for elderly people who have difficulty with transportation or who live in medically underserved areas.
🇺🇸 U.S. Under the CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule final rule, frequency limitations on telehealth for post-hospital follow-up visits, nursing-facility follow-up visits, and critical-care consultations have been permanently removed. Additionally, beginning in 2026, CMS has streamlined the process for adding new services to the Medicare telehealth coverage list; more than 250 billing codes are now included on the Medicare telehealth services list. Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) codes have also been expanded, broadening the path for patients to share readings such as blood pressure, blood glucose, and oxygen saturation with their care team from home for chronic disease management.
Both countries operate from the premise that technology does not fully replace human care. Korean experts identify three challenges that will determine whether these policies succeed or fail: protecting personal information, training frontline workers, and closing the digital-access gap. In the United States as well, elderly residents in rural areas often still have limited access to high-speed internet and rely on audio-only telehealth visits. As a family caregiver, a practical starting point is to first assess your parents' digital literacy and the internet environment in their area before deciding which technology-based services to apply for.
Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare Policy Briefing (May 6, 2026), Electronic Times (전자신문, May 6, 2026), Korean Hospital News (한국병원신문, May 11, 2026), U.S. HHS Telehealth.HHS.gov policy updates, KFF (updated March 19, 2026), American Medical Association (AMA) statement (February 2026), CMS CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule final rule, AARP Telehealth Coverage Guide (updated 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.