Ministry of Health and Welfare Briefing Highlights Alienation Among Young People
"Now Seen as a Matter of Survival... Consider Limits on Number of Treatments or Total Coverage If Financial Burden Is High"
President Lee Jae-myung has requested a review of expanding health insurance coverage to include hair loss treatments.
President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety briefing held on the 16th at the Government Sejong Convention Center. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 16th, during a Ministry of Health and Welfare work briefing held at the Sejong Convention Center in Sejong City, President Lee asked about the possibility of health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments, stating, "Isn't hair loss also a part of illness?"
Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong responded, "We provide support for treatments such as alopecia areata, which occurs for medical reasons, but we do not cover hair loss caused by genetic factors, as it is less associated with medical treatment."
President Lee then pressed further, saying, "A genetic disorder is also caused by genetics, isn't it? Isn't this a matter of how we define what constitutes a disease? I don't think it's a logical issue."
Minister Jeong explained, "It is because hair loss is not considered a symptom or a disease that affects life. For cosmetic reasons, other treatments are also not covered by health insurance."
President Lee responded, "In the past, hair loss was considered a cosmetic issue, but nowadays it seems to be regarded as a matter of survival. It would be good to review how much the costs would be, and if unlimited coverage would be too much of a financial burden, we could consider limiting the number of treatments or the total amount covered." He added, "I have heard that designating a treatment as covered by health insurance lowers the price of the medication. Please include such factors in your review as well."
President Lee specifically cited the sense of "alienation" among the younger generation as the background for his request to review health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments. He said, "The principle of insurance is to pay when you are young and use it when you are older, but there may be young people who feel it is unfair to pay premiums now but not receive any benefits. Young people may feel excluded, thinking, 'I pay premiums but get no benefits; I am in urgent need, so why am I not covered?' That sense of alienation among the youth is why I am raising this issue."
Previously, during the 2022 presidential election, President Lee attracted attention by pledging to expand health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments. However, he did not include this pledge in this year's presidential election campaign.
After the work briefing, Minister Jeong stated in a press briefing, "The idea that hair loss is a matter of survival reflects the impact on young people's confidence during job searches and on their mental health. I understand there is high demand for hair loss treatments, and we will review the matter according to the procedures for health insurance coverage." She continued, "Since the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee must review the issue, we need to comprehensively consider the standards for coverage, the validity, and the financial impact of including hair loss treatments. It will take a long time to assess the need for introduction and estimate the financial scale, so it is difficult to say how long it will take for final implementation."
Jeong Kyung-sil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, also commented, "The request to review coverage for hair loss treatments stems from the intention to ensure that the younger generation can also benefit from health insurance. We will comprehensively review not only hair loss but also the benefits that health insurance can provide to young people."
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