Korea non-covered medical prices
Korea Non-covered Medical Price Statistics turns HIRA’s disclosure of non-covered prices into ranges by item, region and hospital type.
Every figure shows its source and reference date, and no institution is named.
Which columns make up a Korean medical receipt?
Covered care is split into the patient share, the insurer share and full self-pay, and non-covered care has its own column; the non-covered column is the one these ranges describe.
| Column | Who pays | Who sets the amount | On this site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covered: patient share | The patient | Benefit standards (statutory co-payment share) | Not shown |
| Covered: insurer share | National Health Insurance | Benefit standards | Not shown |
| Full self-pay | The patient, the full benefit price | Benefit price, used outside the set conditions | Not shown |
| Non-covered | The patient, the full price | Each institution, disclosed to HIRA | Shown as ranges by item |
How much do the main non-covered items cost?
Each row is one item; the range appears once the latest HIRA disclosure is collected.
| Item | Category | Unit | Nationwide range (min · quartiles · median · max) |
|---|---|---|---|
| manual therapy | Treatment | per session | Figures pending |
| upper abdominal ultrasound | Examination | per examination | Figures pending |
| brain MRI | Examination | per examination | Figures pending |
| extracorporeal shockwave therapy | Treatment | per session | Figures pending |
| shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination | Vaccination | per dose | Figures pending |
| HPV vaccination | Vaccination | per dose | Figures pending |
| dental implant | Dental | per tooth | Figures pending |
| single-room charge (room upgrade) | Inpatient amenity | per day | Figures pending |
| medical certificate (general diagnosis) | Certificates | per certificate | Figures pending |
| laser vision correction (LASIK/LASEK) | Procedure | both eyes | Figures pending |
How are the prices handled?
- Prices appear as ranges by item, region and hospital type, never by institution.
- Groups with fewer than five institutions are hidden.
- Every range carries its disclosure year and source.
Where can you compare by region, hospital type or year?
- StatisticsNon-covered medical prices by region
Median non-covered prices by province and city in Korea for the main disclosed items, from HIRA disclosure data aggregated without institution names. Groups under five institutions are hidden.
- StatisticsNon-covered prices by hospital type
Median non-covered prices at clinics, hospitals, general hospitals and tertiary hospitals in Korea for the main disclosed items, aggregated from HIRA disclosure data without institution names.
- StatisticsNon-covered price trends by year
How the median disclosed non-covered prices of the main items in Korea changed by year, shown in nominal terms and adjusted for consumer prices, from HIRA disclosure data and KOSIS CPI.
- StatisticsNon-covered share of medical spending
What share of medical spending in Korea is paid for non-covered care, and how the health insurance coverage rate changed by year, from National Health Insurance Service statistics.
- ToolNon-covered price explorer
Choose a non-covered item, a region and a hospital type to see the minimum, quartiles, median and maximum of disclosed prices in KRW or USD. Groups under five institutions are hidden.
- ToolCovered or non-covered self-check
Answer three questions about the type of care, its purpose and your insurance status to see whether care in Korea is likely covered, likely non-covered or decided case by case, with the legal basis.
- ToolNon-covered median trend calculator
Pick a non-covered item to see its nationwide median price by year in nominal terms and adjusted for the consumer price index, with the change since the first available year.
Is this data right for your situation?
It suits readers who want a typical price range; it cannot tell you one institution’s price.
- You want to know whether a quoted price is within the usual range.
- You want to know whether an item is usually covered by insurance.
- You are researching price differences by region or hospital type.
- If you need a specific hospital’s price, use HIRA’s official service instead.
What is non-covered care?
Care outside national health insurance benefits, priced by each institution and paid in full by the patient.
| Category | Who decides | What the patient pays |
|---|---|---|
| Covered (benefit) | Ministry of Health benefit standards | The statutory co-payment share |
| Selectively covered | Ministry of Health notice on selective benefits | A higher co-payment share than regular benefits |
| Non-covered | Listed as non-covered; price set by the institution | The full price set by the institution |
| Full self-pay | Benefit item used outside the set conditions | The full benefit price |
How should the ranges be read?
Compare within the same hospital type and look at the number of institutions behind each range.
How did non-covered price disclosure develop?
Disclosure began with tertiary hospitals and has been extended step by step to other institutions.
- 2013HIRA begins publishing non-covered prices of tertiary general hospitals.
- 2018Disclosure is extended to all hospital-level institutions.
- 2021Clinic-level institutions are included in mandatory disclosure.
- Every yearHIRA publishes the yearly disclosure by item and institution.
Why are institution names not shown?
A table of institution names and prices can work as comparative medical advertising; ranges avoid that and still answer the price question.
What else do people ask about Korea non-covered medical prices?
How much do non-covered procedures cost in Korea on average?
It depends on the item, region and hospital type. Item pages show the median and range once the latest disclosure is collected.
What does “non-covered” mean in Korean hospitals?
Care outside national health insurance benefits, priced by the institution and paid in full by the patient.
Where can I see official price ranges?
HIRA publishes the disclosure; this site summarises it into ranges with the reference date.
Can I find the cheapest hospital here?
No. This site does not show prices by institution or recommend hospitals.
Is there a Korean version?
Yes. Every page has a matching Korean page under /ko.
Where do these numbers come from?
- Non-covered medical fee disclosure (by item and institution) Institution names are discarded after aggregation
- Standards for reporting and disclosure of non-covered medical fees (notice)
- Rules on the Standards for National Health Insurance Care Benefits (Annex 2: non-covered items)
- National Health Insurance Statistical Yearbook