The South Korean government converted manual therapy to a 'managed benefit' system from the 1st, setting the price at 43,850 won per session with a 95% patient co-payment rate and limiting health insurance coverage to 15 sessions annually. The medical community has strongly opposed the measure, calling it excessive medical control that infringes on patient choice and physician treatment rights. Manual therapy previously operated as a non-covered treatment with no restrictions on pricing or frequency, leading to price variations ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won for identical treatments across hospitals and regions.
Government Sets Manual Therapy Price at 43,850 Won Per Session
Under the new managed benefit system implemented from the 1st, patients can receive manual therapy at a price of 43,850 won per session with a 95% co-payment rate applied. The government has restricted health insurance coverage to 15 sessions per year. The policy introduces guidelines on both pricing and usage frequency for the treatment.
Medical Community Opposes New Manual Therapy Regulations
Parts of the medical community have strongly opposed the new regulations. Medical professionals have characterized the measure as excessive medical control that infringes on patient choice and physician treatment rights. The opposition has emerged in response to the government's implementation of price controls and session limits on manual therapy.
Private Health Insurance Payouts Reach 17 Trillion Won
Private health insurance payouts reached 17 trillion won last year, representing an increase of 1.7 trillion won (11.4%) compared to the previous year. Non-covered treatments accounted for 9.7 trillion won, representing 57.1% of total payouts. Insurance payouts for musculoskeletal conditions including manual therapy totaled 2.7 trillion won (15.8%). The private health insurance deficit expanded to 1.87 trillion won last year, an increase of approximately 250 billion won from the previous year. Approximately 40 million people are enrolled in private health insurance.
Manual Therapy Previously Operated Without Price Restrictions
Manual therapy operated as a non-covered treatment without restrictions on pricing or frequency. The same treatment showed price variations ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won depending on the hospital and region. Cases existed where some hospitals confirmed whether patients had private health insurance before recommending long-term repeated treatments.
FAQ
What is the new price for manual therapy under South Korea's managed benefit system?
Under the new system implemented from the 1st, manual therapy is priced at 43,850 won per session with a 95% patient co-payment rate applied, and health insurance coverage is limited to 15 sessions annually.
How much did private health insurance payouts increase last year in South Korea?
Private health insurance payouts reached 17 trillion won last year, an increase of 1.7 trillion won (11.4%) compared to the previous year, with non-covered treatments accounting for 9.7 trillion won (57.1%) of the total.
Why did the South Korean government introduce restrictions on manual therapy?
The government introduced the managed benefit system because manual therapy previously operated without price or frequency restrictions, leading to price variations across hospitals and ongoing controversies over excessive treatment practices.
