Maximum Prescription Days per Session Adjusted from 10 to 7
Submission of Herbal Medicine Prescription and Dispensing Records Now Mandatory
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is revising regulations to prevent excessive treatment in single-visit traffic accident cases. Going forward, Korean medicine clinics will not be allowed to pre-dispense prescribed medications to patients covered by automobile insurance due to traffic accidents, and the number of acupuncture sessions will also be limited.
On the 8th, the Ministry announced the preparation and administrative notice of the "Revised Standards for Medical Fees under Automobile Insurance," which includes these measures. This is to curb excessive treatment as the cost of Korean medicine treatments under automobile insurance has significantly increased. The cost of Korean medicine treatments under automobile insurance rose from 1.1 trillion KRW in 2020 to 1.4 trillion KRW last year.
According to the revision, Korean medicine clinics and similar institutions will no longer be able to pre-dispense prescribed medications to patients covered by automobile insurance. The maximum prescription period per visit will be adjusted from the current 10 days to 7 days. When Korean medicine clinics claim medical fees from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, they must submit a detailed prescription and dispensing statement for herbal medicine.
Measures to prevent excessive treatment for minor injury patients have also been established. Patients can receive acupuncture therapy daily during the first 0 to 1 week, but the frequency is limited to three times per week during weeks 2 to 3, twice per week during weeks 4 to 10, and once per week after 10 weeks. Acupuncture treatments exceeding these limits will not be covered by insurance.
Additionally, the conditions for the use of pharmacopuncture solutions have been specified as "aseptic and sterilized pharmacopuncture solutions."
Jeon Hyung-pil, Director of the Mobility Automobile Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "Through the implementation of this revision, annual automobile insurance medical expenses are expected to be reduced by 30 to 50 billion KRW. We will continue to strive for the rationalization of automobile insurance medical expenses."
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