On the 11th, as the COVID-19 resurgence phase began, the screening clinic set up at Songpa-gu Public Health Center in Seoul was crowded with citizens seeking testing. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] From the 11th, COVID-19 confirmed patients must pay the out-of-pocket expenses for outpatient treatment at hospitals and clinics.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that, according to the 'COVID-19 Isolation-related Financial Support System Reform Plan' discussed at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on the 24th of last month, confirmed patients will bear part of the outpatient treatment costs.
From this day forward, COVID-19 confirmed patients will pay the out-of-pocket expenses incurred from outpatient treatment or prescriptions at local hospitals and clinics. The cost per visit is approximately 5,000 to 6,000 KRW (clinic-level, first visit basis).
If patients receive prescriptions at pharmacies, they also bear part of the medication cost. For example, if the total pharmacy medication cost is 12,000 KRW, the out-of-pocket expense is about 3,600 KRW.
However, relatively high-cost oral treatments such as Paxlovid will continue to be provided free of charge without any out-of-pocket expenses.
Out-of-pocket payments are made directly at hospitals, clinics, or pharmacies for in-person consultations, and for non-face-to-face consultations, payment is made through methods such as bank transfers agreed upon between the medical institution and the patient.
According to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, there are 12,913 respiratory patient treatment centers nationwide where COVID-19 confirmed patients can receive both in-person and non-face-to-face treatment. Among these, 6,338 are 'one-stop (integrated) treatment institutions' capable of providing diagnosis, testing, prescription, and treatment all in one place.
The government plans to expand the number of one-stop treatment institutions to 10,000 to prepare for a resurgence of COVID-19 and establish a medical system that allows rapid treatment within local communities.
The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters explained, "The partial burden of outpatient treatment costs for confirmed patients is a financial support reform measure for sustainable infectious disease response in preparation for a resurgence," and asked for "the public's understanding and cooperation."
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