HIRA Announces Vaccination Prices by Medical Institution
Using the "Non-reimbursable Medical Cost Disclosure System"
As the importance of pneumococcal vaccination to prevent pneumonia during seasonal changes increases, it has been found that the price of pneumococcal vaccines, which are non-reimbursable items, can vary by up to twice depending on the medication.
How to check non-covered medical expenses information on the mobile app 'Health e-Eum' screen. Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service
On the 9th, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) announced that through the 'Non-reimbursable Medical Cost Disclosure System,' it supports the public in checking pneumococcal vaccination prices in advance before visiting hospitals and selecting medical institutions.
By accessing the HIRA website or the mobile application 'Health e-um,' users can check and compare the prices of non-reimbursable items among various medical institutions, and non-reimbursable prices by item can also be viewed through each medical institution’s website.
According to the survey results, the average price of pneumococcal vaccination varied somewhat depending on the type of medication, with the protein-conjugate vaccine (PCV) being about twice as expensive on average as the polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV). Last year, the average vaccination prices at hospitals and clinics were 125,700 KRW for 'Prevnar 13,' 115,100 KRW for 'Synflorix prefilled syringe,' 61,400 KRW for 'Prodiax-23,' and 64,200 KRW for 'Prodiax-23 prefilled syringe.'
The risk of pneumonia occurrence is highest in December, followed by April and May. In 2023, patients hospitalized due to pneumonia accounted for 21.8% of all patients, an increase of 1.4 times compared to the previous year. Middle-aged patients in their 40s and 50s increased by 1.5 times compared to the previous year, accounting for 11.2% of all patients, highlighting the importance of pneumococcal vaccination across all generations. For healthy individuals, pneumonia symptoms in the early stages often resemble a common cold and are easily overlooked, but in 2023, pneumonia ranked third among causes of death (57.5 deaths per 100,000 population), nearly doubling compared to 10 years ago (21.4 deaths in 2013).
Meanwhile, the Non-reimbursable Medical Cost Disclosure System is a system designed to guarantee the public’s right to know by disclosing price information for non-reimbursable medical items, which vary by medical institution, and to support rational medical choices. Another pneumococcal vaccine, 'Boxnewvance prefilled,' newly selected as a medication under the national immunization program, is also planned to have its prices disclosed by medical institution starting in August.
Kim Sang-ji, Director of the Reimbursement Strategy Office at HIRA, said, "We will continue to improve the price disclosure system to significantly enhance accessibility to price information, expand the discovery and disclosure of non-reimbursable items that consumers are interested in, and provide practical help for the public’s medical choices."
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