Concerns Over Health Insurance Funds Amid Expansion of Hair Loss Treatment Coverage

[Anchor]

There is heated debate over whether to apply national health insurance coverage to hair loss treatments. While the government has stated it will reduce support for certain minor ailments due to concerns over the health insurance fund's financial stability, it is simultaneously pushing to expand coverage for hair loss.

Reporter Park Ha-jeong has the story.

[Reporter]

In front of a clinic in Jongno-gu, Seoul, known as a "mecca" for hair loss treatment.

It is easy to find citizens who have just received prescriptions for medication.

Currently, health insurance covers hair loss caused by medical conditions, such as alopecia areata. However, opinions are divided on whether coverage should be extended to hair loss caused by genetics or hormones.

[Person A: (Before and after treatment) The quality of life is completely different. It gives you confidence. For men, especially, appearance is proportional to the amount of hair... I think hair loss is a disease, too.]

[Person B: (The medication) costs a little over 10,000 won a month, so it shouldn't be considered too much. As for drugs that are truly expensive? I'm not sure about those.]

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which had previously expressed a negative stance on applying health insurance to hair loss treatments,

[Jeong Eun-kyeong / Minister of Health and Welfare (Last December): We do not view it as a condition that affects life...]

has recently changed its position, stating it will pursue an expansion of health insurance benefits.

Although the ministry says it has finished a working-level review on how much additional funding is required, it has not disclosed who will be eligible or how much support will be provided.

[Jeong Eun-kyeong / Minister of Health and Welfare (Today): We have reviewed various implementation plans, and since the process of gathering social opinions at the 'Public Discussion' (next month) is a priority anyway...]

The National Assembly Budget Office has projected that the health insurance fund will face a deficit of over 5 trillion won starting this year.

The government plans to reduce financial support for 105 minor ailments, such as cataracts and atopic dermatitis, yet it is showing a willingness to provide support for hereditary hair loss, which has traditionally been classified as a cosmetic issue.

There are voices arguing that priority should be given to treatments for critical illnesses directly linked to life.

[Kim Sung-ju / Chairman of the Korea Alliance of Patients with Severe Diseases: Even though new drugs for diseases like pancreatic cancer or lung cancer are emerging, there are such difficult hurdles to overcome before they are covered by insurance. Patients have been waiting for years...]

The government must disclose the financial estimates required for hair loss treatment support and seek a consensus on how to allocate limited resources.

(Video Editing: Kim Ho-jin, Design: Kim Ha-neul, VJ: Shin So-young)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.