"Don't Avoid Treatment Because of Money"...Significantly Reduced Out-of-Pocket Costs for COVID-19 and Other Infectious Disease Patients

Amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act Approved at the Cabinet Meeting

The financial burden of medical expenses for infectious disease patients, as determined by the Minister of Health and Welfare, including COVID-19, will be reduced.

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The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 30th that the partial amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the National Health Insurance Act, containing these provisions, was approved at the Cabinet meeting.

Timely necessary treatment is important to prevent infectious diseases from worsening to a severe state or spreading to others. However, if the cost of infectious disease treatment is burdensome, patients may avoid treatment or miss the appropriate timing for treatment.

Accordingly, the government has established a basis to exceptionally lower the patient’s co-payment rate for medical benefits for infectious disease patients, as announced by the Minister of Health and Welfare, to alleviate the economic burden and ensure timely measures.

For example, if COVID-19 treatments are listed under health insurance, the current regulation requires a co-payment rate of 20-30%, but with this amendment, the co-payment rate is expected to be reduced to 5% or less.

Lee Jung-gyu, Director of the Health Insurance Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "This amendment to the enforcement decree is not only for COVID-19 but also to prepare for future infectious disease crises. It will contribute to protecting the lives and health of the people by improving access to infectious disease treatment and strengthening the national infectious disease response capacity."