청 New Comprehensive Payment System Petition Response..."5% Copayment for Anticancer Drugs Next Year as Well"

Ryu Geun-hyeok, 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Responds to National Petition... Continued Promotion of Insurance Coverage for Anticancer and High-Cost Drugs

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] The Blue House announced that for existing patients, a 5% co-payment for anticancer drugs will be applied next year in relation to the public petition opposing the abolition of coverage for anticancer drugs under the new bundled payment system.

On the 17th, the Blue House responded to the public petition opposing the abolition of coverage for anticancer drugs under the new bundled payment system. The petitioner demanded the guarantee of treatment continuity for patients currently undergoing treatment, the prompt coverage of effective anticancer drugs for patients with severe cancer, and opposition to the hasty abolition of anticancer coverage under the new bundled payment system. This petition was supported by 212,500 people.

Ryu Geun-hyeok, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, explained in response to the petition, "The improvement plan implemented by the government this time aims to correct the misapplication of the new bundled payment system standards that have been occurring in the field," adding, "The new bundled payment system has been a pilot project since 2009."

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Vice Minister Ryu added, "There are two methods of health insurance payment for medical services, drugs, and treatment materials: the 'fee-for-service system' and the 'bundled payment system.' These have been integrated into the 'new bundled payment system' to create and review a new payment model that allows patients to receive more appropriate and reasonable treatment."

He explained, "The new bundled payment system supplements the shortcomings of these payment systems by bundling basic inpatient services under a bundled payment, while separately compensating surgeries and procedures on a fee-for-service basis," and added, "During the expansion of the new bundled payment system to private medical institutions, a problem arose where different co-payment rates were applied between pilot project participating institutions and other medical institutions."

Vice Minister Ryu said, "As a result, patients concentrated in specific hospitals, causing issues of fairness between hospitals and patients due to differences in payment systems, and medical practice patterns were distorted," adding, "This was also inconsistent with the current drug coverage standards, so the government had to correct the misapplied standards."

He further explained, "Measures have been prepared to ensure treatment continuity for existing patients so that no innocent victims arise from the system improvement. Those currently receiving treatment with a 5% co-payment for anticancer drugs at medical institutions participating in the new bundled payment pilot project will be able to continue treatment at the same co-payment level next year."

Vice Minister Ryu acknowledged, "We understand the heartfelt wish for more anticancer drugs and other severe high-cost medicines to be covered," and pledged, "The government will continue to promote coverage of anticancer drugs and other severe and high-cost medicines that benefit patients with severe cancer, considering clinical usefulness, safety, and cost-effectiveness."