Regression of health insurance coverage such as MRI
Health Insurance Corporation manpower reduction also promoted
“Moon Jae-in Care,” which President Yoon Seok-yeol defined as a “populist policy” on the 13th, has already entered the process of dismantling it. Measures to weaken the public nature, such as reducing health insurance coverage and reducing the number of employees at the National Health Insurance Service, are continuing.
On the 8th, the government already announced a policy reform policy to drastically reduce the application of health insurance benefits for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound examinations. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the same day that the health insurance benefit standards for brain and cerebrovascular MRI were reorganized, and musculoskeletal ultrasound and MRI, which were originally scheduled to be applied to health insurance, were limited to essential items. A plan for implementation is included. The government has decided to promote a plan to increase the out-of-pocket rate for those who have used outpatient medical care above a certain level and pay more expensive medical expenses. The ‘special calculation’ system, which reduced the burden by applying a low co-payment rate to patients with severe and rare diseases such as cancer, is also modified.
Restructuring of public institutions under the Ministry of Health and Welfare that provide public health-related services is also planned. The National Health Insurance Service, which reported the largest number of personnel reduction plans among agencies affiliated with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in the ‘Public Institution Innovation Plan’ released last September, included a total of 184 people, including those in charge of ultrasound and MRI reimbursement, as targets for manpower adjustment, and reported the status of infectious diseases. It was also decided to reduce functions such as response.
The issue of national treasury support for the National Health Insurance, which will only be maintained until this year under the sunset system, has been passed over to the National Assembly. The flow of health insurance coverage, which has been strengthening for some time following the decision of the National Assembly, is also likely to face a turning point.