This photo shows a general hospital in Gwangju, 267 kilometers south of Seoul, on Feb. 23, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Apr. 9 (Korea Bizwire) – In 2021, South Koreans bore an average of 960,000 won in annual out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, a significant figure that highlights the personal financial impact of accessing medical services.
This data was unveiled in the “2021 Korea Health Panel Basic Analysis Report (II)” jointly released by the National Health Insurance Service and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, offering a comprehensive look at healthcare utilization among 5,878 households encompassing 12,874 individuals (1,931 adults over 19 and 1,943 children aged 0-18).
Among these, 11,844 individuals had utilized healthcare services within the year.
The report details that emergency services were sought by 1,006 individuals, hospital admissions accounted for 1,667 cases, and outpatient visits topped the list with 11,803 instances.
On average, those who accessed healthcare services did so 17.8 times throughout the year, with outpatient visits averaging 17.6 times per person, inpatient stays at 1.5, and emergency services at 1.3.
A closer look reveals that outpatient visits predominantly consisted of medical (14.7 visits per person), traditional Korean medicine (8.2), and dental services (3.7).
Gender disparities were minimal in emergency and inpatient services, but outpatient visits saw women accessing care more frequently than men, with 19.3 visits compared to 15.6.
Age-wise, those in their 70s led with 33.5 medical encounters per year, followed closely by those aged 80 and above at 31.4, and the 60s age group at 25.1, indicating a higher utilization among the elderly.
Out-of-pocket expenses varied significantly across different types of services, with emergency care costing individuals an average of 111,000 won, hospital admissions at 2.03 million won and outpatient services at 722,000 won.
Within outpatient services, individuals spent an average of 499,000 won on medical, 474,000 won on dental, and 198,000 won on traditional Korean medicine, with dental care standing out for its high cost relative to the number of visits.
The report also delves into the burden of healthcare costs on households, revealing that 41.5% of families feel strained by their medical expenditures.
Additionally, unmet medical needs were reported by 14.1% of men and 16.6% of women, primarily due to scheduling conflicts, economic constraints, and availability issues.
This comprehensive study, conducted annually since 2008 by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and the National Health Insurance Service, sheds light on the financial challenges faced by individuals and families in accessing healthcare, underscoring the need for policy considerations to alleviate these burdens.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
