Ministry of Health and Welfare Briefing Led by President on December 16
"If Covered by Insurance, Medication Prices Will Drop; Please Include in Review"
On December 16, President Lee Jaemyung stated, "I would like to see a review of providing health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments, whether by limiting the number of prescriptions or by setting a total amount cap."
After receiving a policy briefing from the Ministry of Health and Welfare at the Sejong Convention Center that day, President Lee commented, "There are people who say, 'I pay insurance premiums too, so I want to receive benefits,'" and made the above remarks. President Lee continued, "It seems that hair loss medication has become quite common. If it is covered by health insurance, wouldn't the price of the medication go down? Please include that in your review as well," he instructed.
Hair loss treatments are not covered by health insurance when the cause is genetic, as they are classified as non-reimbursable. If hair loss is not due to aging, health insurance coverage is only granted in cases where the condition is severe enough to significantly interfere with daily life.
President Lee explained, "Young people feel it is unfair that they pay insurance premiums but do not receive benefits," adding, "I'm bringing this up because the sense of alienation among youth is growing too large." In other words, since the younger generation rarely benefits from health insurance, he is asking whether it is possible to provide coverage for hair loss treatments commonly used by young people.
President Lee also remarked, "People ask me why I promised to support hair loss medication but have not kept that promise," and questioned, "Isn't hair loss also a kind of illness? I hear that young people use these medications a lot." As the Democratic Party candidate in the 20th presidential election, President Lee pledged to provide insurance coverage for hair loss treatments, but he did not make the same pledge in the 21st presidential election.
In response, Minister of Health and Welfare Chung Eun-kyung replied, "We do not provide coverage because (hair loss) is not considered a symptom of a disease or a condition that affects life," adding, "For cosmetic reasons, other treatments are also not covered by health insurance."
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