It has been found that the non-reimbursable medical fees, which patients pay in full since they are not covered by health insurance, vary from one medical institution to another. The cost for a sham-photograph used for cataract diagnosis showed a difference of up to 400 times, and significant price disparities were also observed among major items such as manual therapy, implants, and herbal acupuncture.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) announced on the 3rd that they have made public information on non-reimbursable medical fees for 2025 on the HIRA website and mobile app.
Sham-photography measures whether there is any turbidity remaining in the lens after cataract surgery. In a general hospital in Seoul, the fee was 5,400 won, while an ophthalmology clinic in Seocho-gu, Seoul, charged 2 million won, resulting in a 370-fold difference.
Considering the average and maximum fees, the 100,000 won charged by Clinic A in Gwangju and 2 million won by Clinic B in Seocho-gu had a difference of 20 times. For implants, Clinic C in Busan charged 1.2 million won, while Clinic D in Seoul charged up to 2.5 million won.
Manual therapy was reported to cost 100,000 won at Clinic E in Seoul and 255,000 won at Clinic F in Gyeongnam. The cost of pneumococcal vaccination was 130,000 won at Clinic G in Ulsan and 180,000 won at Clinic H in Sejong. Herbal acupuncture cost 10,000 won at Clinic I in Seoul and 30,000 won at Clinic J in Seoul.
This time, 693 items of non-reimbursable medical fees were disclosed. If we consider only the 571 items that are common with last year, the average price of non-reimbursable medical fees has increased by 64.3%. The price of pneumococcal vaccination has risen by 2.1%, and manual therapy by 1.3%.
Non-reimbursable medical fees are determined autonomously by medical institutions. This is a part that the government cannot control. However, if the fees are too high, it increases the burden on patients, which is why the prices are disclosed to encourage rational choices. The Ministry stated, "We will guarantee the right to know."