Health Insurance Premium Frozen
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
The government has decided not to raise the National Health Insurance premium for 2009 for the first time ever, although coverage will expand as economic difficulties are expected to affect more people, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said Thursday.
The freeze, the first since 1977 when the scheme was introduced, is to reflect demands from labor, civic and business groups. The premium has steadily risen, gaining 6.4 percent in 2008 and 6.5 percent in 2007.
Children's dental fillings and Oriental physical therapy will be newly added to the coverage list while those suffering from cancer, chronic renal failure and rheumatism will have additional discounts.
Those who make less than 50 percent of the average income will only have to pay up to two million won a year for treatment ― if their medical fees exceed this the corporation will pay the rest. Those who make 50-80 percent of income will have to pay up to three million won.
Coverage for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), dental scaling and artificial teeth for senior citizens will be phased in gradually from 2010.
The health ministry will ``rationalize'' several sectors to cover the expected shortfall from the premium freeze. Strict screening will be implemented to prevent people who seek hospitalization unnecessarily to fraudulently seek compensation, while people visiting hospitals for non-serious diseases will have to pay 60 percent of fees from the current 50 percent.
Despite such steps, the National Health Insurance Corporation is expected to sustain a loss of 328 billion won next year.
Subscribers paid an average of 455,714 won premium for coverage benefits of 515,096 won last year. ``This means they got 113 percent benefits from what they paid,'' corporation spokesman Jeong Gwang-su said.
Koreans visited medical facilities 16.6 days a year on average ― hospitalization marked 1.6 days and simple visits, 15 days.
Hemorrhoidectomy was the most common treatment involving hospitalization followed by measures for cataracts, pneumonia and inflammation of the stomach. Bronchitis, acute tonsillitis and dental problems were the most frequently requested coverage sector for outpatients.
The corporation posted a 900 billion won surplus last year.