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South Korea to expand health insurance for hair loss treatments, reform basic pension
🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

South Korea to expand health insurance for hair loss treatments, reform basic pension

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to expand national health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments in the second half of the year.
  • The ministry is also considering reforms to the basic pension system to provide more support to low-income individuals.
  • A public discussion on expanding insurance coverage for hair loss treatments is scheduled for July 4th.

South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare is moving forward with plans to include hair loss treatments under the national health insurance program starting in the latter half of this year. This initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden on individuals experiencing hair loss.

We have conducted practical reviews on how to apply insurance and how much funding will be needed.

— Jung Eun-kyungMinister of Health and Welfare, discussing the feasibility of expanding insurance coverage for hair loss treatments.

Minister of Health and Welfare Jung Eun-kyung stated that practical reviews have been conducted regarding the scope and financial implications of extending insurance coverage. A survey targeting approximately 1,000 individuals by the National Health Insurance Service showed a positive response to the proposed coverage expansion. President Lee Jae-myung had previously directed the ministry to explore options for including hair loss treatment, acknowledging it as a medical condition.

The ministry is organizing a public forum on July 4th to gather opinions on the health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments. Currently, only alopecia areata with a clear pathological cause is covered by insurance; other forms of natural hair loss require patients to bear the full cost of treatment. In 2024, about 240,000 patients received insurance coverage for their conditions.

Isn't hair loss a part of illness? If the financial burden is significant, it would be good to consider options like limiting the number of treatments or the total amount.

— President Lee Jae-myungPreviously directing the ministry to explore coverage options for hair loss treatments.

Additionally, the ministry is reassessing the basic pension system, which currently provides a uniform amount to the bottom 70% of income earners aged 65 and above. Minister Jung indicated that the reform aims for a "bottom-heavy, top-light" approach, prioritizing more substantial support for the lowest-income groups, as the current system's effectiveness in poverty reduction is considered limited. The government plans to finalize its proposal and begin the legislative process in the latter half of the year.

The principle of basic pension reform is to provide robust support to low-income individuals.

— Jung Eun-kyungExplaining the direction for reforming the basic pension system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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