Patients should expect up to 50% higher medical costs over Chuseok break, health authorities say

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Patients should expect up to 50% higher medical costs over Chuseok break, health authorities say

Published: 12 Sep. 2024, 14:09

SEO JI-EUN
seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr

Paramedics from the 119 rescue team wait to transfer a patient to the emergency room at a university hospital in Daejeon on Wednesday as emergency rooms nationwide face overloading due to the ongoing seven-month-long medical strike. [KIM SUNG-TAE]

Patients seeking medical or pharmacy services in Korea during the upcoming Chuseok holiday will face a 30 to 50 percent increase in out-of-pocket expenses compared to regular days, health authorities said Thursday.

This move aims to ensure healthcare workers are compensated for working outside normal business hours, particularly during the ongoing doctors' strike that has disrupted the country's medical services.

The surcharge will apply from Saturday through next Wednesday, during the five-day Chuseok holiday period, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Under this policy, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies will be allowed to charge additional fees for consultations and prescriptions provided outside of regular business hours, including on weekends and holidays.

Medical institutions can add 30 to 50 percent to prices for services provided between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays, Saturday afternoons, all day on Sundays and on holidays. Pharmacies will also apply a 30 percent increase to fees during these times. Local clinics and pharmacies can charge 30 percent more for consultations and prescriptions, even on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The surcharge increases to 50 percent for emergency procedures like anesthesia and treatment or surgery conducted at night or on holidays. If additional treatments or tests are required, the patient’s overall costs will rise further.

In response to the ongoing strike by thousands of medical interns and residents, impacting hospital operations, the government has pledged temporary financial support to hospitals and clinics that remain open during the holiday period.

The government has set up an emergency response period from Wednesday to Sept. 25. During the Chuseok holiday, approximately 8,000 hospitals and clinics will remain open daily, more than double the 3,600 that were open during the Lunar New Year holiday in February. In addition, over 150 maternity hospitals nationwide will continue to operate.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo addressed growing concerns from the public over a potential healthcare crisis during a briefing on Thursday morning.

"The government is taking the public’s inconvenience and anxiety seriously," Han said. "But there is no need to worry about a collapse in the healthcare system, as some fear."

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo addresses the public in a briefing on the medical strike on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Han urged the public to use emergency rooms and large hospitals only for critical patients and to seek local clinics or small hospital emergency rooms for less severe conditions. Information on available medical institutions during the holiday can be found in advance via the E-gen website or the mobile application run by the Health Ministry.

"I earnestly ask the public to seek the appropriate medical facility based on the severity of condition during the holiday period," Han said. "If you suspect a serious illness, contact 119 immediately, but if your condition is less severe, please visit a local clinic or small hospital emergency room first."

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]