Civic Group Analyzes 45 Tertiary General Hospitals
Hwasun Chonnam, Chilgok Kyungpook Among Top 7 for Cost-Efficient, High-Quality Care
There are significant differences in the proportion of non-reimbursable medical services among tertiary general hospitals. When comprehensively evaluating the level of medical expenses and standardized mortality ratios, seven hospitals-including Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital, and Seoul National University Hospital-were identified as "hospitals that offer affordable costs while maintaining high-quality medical care."
Exterior view of Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital. Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital
The Economic Justice Practice Citizens' Coalition and the office of Assemblyman Kim Yoon of the Democratic Party held a press conference on the 29th, releasing data on the status of non-reimbursable services at 45 tertiary general hospitals based on hospital accounting records and data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service.
According to the survey, the total amount of medical expenses for health insurance patients at these 45 hospitals over the three-year period from 2021 to 2023 reached approximately 65.2 trillion won. Of this, non-reimbursable medical expenses amounted to 8.4 trillion won, accounting for 12.8% of the total.
The average non-reimbursable rate at 12 public hospitals was 9.9%, while the rate at 33 private hospitals was significantly higher at 13.9%. Notably, all of the top 10 hospitals with the highest non-reimbursable rates were private hospitals, with an average rate of 16.5%. Since non-reimbursable services are not covered by health insurance and patients must pay the full amount themselves, a higher rate directly translates to a greater financial burden on patients.
Press conference on the analysis of non-reimbursable medical expenses at tertiary general hospitals. Economic Justice Practice Citizens' Coalition, provided by Yonhap News Agency
The hospital with the highest non-reimbursable rate was Kyung Hee University Hospital at 21.5%, while Gangneung Asan Hospital had the lowest at 7.1%. The gap between these two hospitals was threefold.
The Economic Justice Practice Citizens' Coalition also analyzed the level of medical expenses at each hospital using the "high-cost medical expense index." Twenty-two hospitals, including Wonkwang University Hospital, were evaluated as providing "relatively expensive care," exceeding the average for tertiary general hospitals (0.999). Conversely, 22 hospitals, including Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, were assessed as offering "affordable care," with costs below the average.
In the comparison of standardized mortality ratios for patients with the same disease group, 16 hospitals-including Chosun University Hospital-had ratios above the average (100), indicating lower quality of care. On the other hand, 29 hospitals-including Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital-had ratios below the average, indicating higher quality of care.
Seven hospitals-including Hwasun Chonnam National University Hospital, Chilgok Kyungpook National University Hospital, Seoul National University Hospital, Chungnam National University Hospital, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Ulsan University Hospital, and Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital-were identified as "cost-efficient hospitals," with all three indicators (non-reimbursable rate, high-cost index, and standardized mortality ratio) below the average. In contrast, hospitals such as Ajou University Hospital, Korea University Guro Hospital, and Korea University Anam Hospital had all three indicators above the average.
The Economic Justice Practice Citizens' Coalition stated, "The government already possesses information on health insurance coverage rates, non-reimbursable rates, high-cost indices, and standardized mortality ratios, but does not disclose it, forcing patients to rely on reputation or image when choosing hospitals," and argued, "Given the inadequacy of the non-reimbursable price management system, it is necessary to first disclose the non-reimbursable rate, high-cost index, and standardized mortality ratio for each hospital so that cost efficiency can be assessed."
Assemblyman Kim Yoon pointed out, "The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service did not disclose this information, claiming it would exacerbate the concentration of patients at large hospitals in the Seoul metropolitan area, but mortality rates at regional hospitals are comparable to those at the 'Big 5' hospitals in Seoul." He emphasized, "By withholding information, they have in fact allowed the concentration of patients to continue. To help patients make informed choices, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service must release disease-specific mortality rates it holds."
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