(Health Korea News / Do-i Lim) Unlike the reimbursement plan, where the National Health Insurance covers 70-80% of medical expenses, the non-reimbursement plan requires the patient to pay 100% of their medical expenses.
Given this situation, the medical expenses paid by patients for the same disease and the same treatment vary greatly.
Looking at the results of a survey conducted by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) on non-covered treatment costs at medical institutions at the level of local hospitals, we can see that there is a large difference in non-covered treatment costs between institutions.
In the case of multifocal lenses for cataract surgery, the minimum price at Clinic A in Seoul was approximately 290,000 won, but the maximum price at Clinic B in Seoul was 6.8 million won, showing a difference of 23.44 times.
In terms of manual therapy, there was a 2.6-fold gap between the median amount at C Clinic in Seoul (100,000 won) and the maximum amount at D Clinic in Gyeongnam (approximately 260,000 won).
In addition, the cost of ultrasound-guided HIFU surgery was 3 million won (minimum) at E Clinic in Seoul and 15 million won (maximum) at F Clinic in Seoul, showing a 5-fold difference, and the cost of non-valve reconstruction surgery was 200,000 won (minimum) at E Clinic in Daegu and 5 million won (maximum) at F Clinic in Busan, showing a 25-fold difference.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service released the non-covered prices (medical treatment costs) for 2024, which show such a gap, on the 5th through the Review & Assessment Service website and mobile app ‘Health e-um’.
The non-covered price (medical treatment cost) disclosure system is a system to protect the public’s right to know and support rational medical choices by disclosing price information for non-covered treatment items that differ from one medical institution to another. This year, prices for 623 non-covered items from all medical institutions were disclosed.
Specifically, there are 167 items of treatment materials, 75 items of MRI, 78 items of ultrasound examination fees, 63 items of vaccination, 46 items of functional examination fees, 44 items of treatment and surgery fees, 20 items of dental treatment and surgery fees, 14 items of dental prosthetics fees, 12 items of assistive devices, 31 items of certification fees, and 73 other items.
As a result of the 2024 non-covered price (medical treatment cost) survey and analysis, the average price of 65.7% (334 items) of all items increased, and the average price of 32.7% (166 items) decreased.
In the case of acupuncture, which is of high public interest, the average price increased by 2.5% compared to the previous year, and the cost of shingles vaccination increased by 10.6%. It was found that there was a large difference in price between institutions for acupuncture, multifocal lenses for cataract surgery, and non-valve reconstruction surgery.
Consumers can check and compare non-covered prices among medical institutions through the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service website to make reasonable non-covered choices. Non-covered prices for each item can also be checked through the medical institution website.
Medical institutions that do not operate a website provide notice through brochures, menus, and wall posters within the institution.
The government plans to expand the provision of non-covered information that consumers are interested in, and to review the introduction of measures to induce appropriate price setting through consultation with the medical community for non-covered items with large price differences, in accordance with the first implementation plan for medical reform announced on August 30.
Kwon Byeong-gi, the Essential Medical Support Officer at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, “The non-covered price (medical cost) disclosure system, which provides the public with reliable medical information and supports their rational medical choices, has been in effect for four years,” and added, “We will continue to improve the price disclosure system so that it can provide practical help to the public in their medical choices by listening to opinions from various fields, including consumers and the medical community.”
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Source: www.hkn24.com
