Young ADHD patients tend to delay treatment of the condition with hopes that it will naturally fade with age, which isn’t always the case, leading to late adult diagnosis of the disorder. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Aug. 25 (Korea Bizwire) – Starting September 1, adult ADHD patients in Korea will be able to have their ADHD medication expenses partially covered by the national health insurance plan.
Attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, although largely perceived as a condition most prevalent in children and teenagers, is also becoming common among adults. And because of biased perceptions from the past, previous government health insurance plans only covered ADHD medication for patients aged six to 18.
Under old regulations, patients older than 18 years of age who wanted benefit to from health insurance coverage later on in life had to be diagnosed with ADHD before they turned 19. Under the new plan, this will no longer be the case, as the Ministry of Health & Welfare has confirmed that the revised bill mandates coverage for patients up to 65 years old.
Young ADHD patients tend to delay treatment of the condition with hopes that it will naturally fade with age, which isn’t always the case, leading to late adult diagnosis of the disorder.
The number of adult ADHD patients more than tripled from 1,200 in 2010 to 4,000 in 2015. Those in medical circles, however, expect that the actual number is much higher, taking into consideration that adult patients often fail to recognize ADHD symptoms and tend to blame it on personality.
In fact, American health information service Healthline also revealed that 4 percent of American adults deal with ADHD on a daily basis, further supporting the idea that ADHD is not exclusive to children and adolescents.
Adult ADHD differs from youth ADHD in that adults typically show less hyperactive behavior. Sufferers often forget their belongings or the tasks they have to fulfil, and sometimes have difficulties understanding conversational context. A lack of patience, time management, and reckless driving are also among the symptoms.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
