Patients wait to see doctors at Pusan National University Hospital in South Korea’s southeastern port city of Busan on Aug. 7, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, June 8 (Korea Bizwire) – Two in five South Korean households still believe that they’re spending too much on medical bills Despite the national health insurance’s wider coverage, a local report showed Tuesday.
The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs analyzed the 2019 Korea Health Panel Survey conducted on 6,689 households (14,741 people), of which 40.7 percent believed they spend too much on medical bills each year.
In 2019, each person received medical treatment 16.8 times on average. Sorted by the type of medical treatment, each person received 1.3 emergency treatments, 1.6 hospitalizations, and 16.5 hospital visits.
Each person spent an average of 730,000 won (US$581) on medical treatment. Sorted by the type of medical treatment, each person spent 96,000 won on emergency treatment, 1,585,000 won on hospitalization and 551,000 won on hospital visits.
In 2019, each person spent around 40,855 won per case of medical service. Sorted by the type of medical treatment, each person spent 96,000 won per case of emergency treatment, 1,014,999 won per case of hospitalization, and 30,292 won per hospital visit.
Among 1,531 people who had not used any medical services in the previous 12 months despite the need, 51.7 percent said they ‘couldn’t make the time’.
Another 21.2 percent blamed ‘financial reasons’ for not going to the hospital.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
