No Insurance Coverage at General Hospitals

Patients who go to general hospitals without first being examined at private clinics for family medicine, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, rehabilitation, or dermatology care will not be covered by health insurance. This new policy is intended to relieve overcrowding at the nation's largest hospitals.

However, patients will be entitled to receive an itemized, detailed price list of the medications and treatments for which they are billed. The current law does not have such a provision.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on March 21 that the new enforcement regulations of the National Health Insurance Act will go into effect from July 1,after undergoing a review period lasting until April 12,

A source from the ministry was quoted as saying, "when the act goes into effect,only patients with a referral from a primary or secondary medical institution, such as a private clinic, can receive medical services at the larger medical institutions,such as a general or polyclinic hospital."

by Shin Sung-sick