Non-covered medical prices by region
Non-covered prices in Korea differ by region as well as by hospital type.
Comparing regional medians for the main disclosed items shows where prices are reported higher or lower.
On this page
Which regions report higher non-covered prices?
The table lists each item’s nationwide median with the regions reporting the highest and lowest medians.
| Item | Nationwide median | Highest regional median | Lowest regional median |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | |||
Why do prices differ between regions?
Rents, labour costs and the mix of hospital types differ between regions.
| Variable | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Hospital type | Staffing, equipment and overheads differ by type |
| Region | Rents and labour costs differ by region |
| Equipment and materials | Device or product choice changes the cost |
| Number of sessions | Some items are priced per session and repeated |
Does the regional median mix hospital types?
Yes. The regional median combines all hospital types, so a region with many tertiary hospitals can look higher.
How is the non-covered price data collected?
Institutions report their non-covered prices under a Ministry of Health notice, and HIRA publishes them; this site aggregates the published file.
The reporting and disclosure standards are set by the Ministry of Health and Welfare notice on non-covered medical fees. HIRA publishes item-level prices by institution. This site downloads the published file, keeps only the item, region, hospital type and price columns, and groups them before anything is saved.
How does this site calculate the distribution?
Disclosed prices are grouped and summarised by this site; individual institution prices are never stored or shown.
Regional medians use the all-type group of each region; the highest and lowest regions exclude hidden groups.
Quartiles use linear interpolation between ranked prices. Groups with fewer than five institutions are hidden so that no single institution’s price can be inferred. The aggregation script is published with the site so that this rule can be checked.
What can this price data not tell you?
It shows disclosed prices, not what any one patient will pay, and it cannot show the quality of care.
- Disclosed prices can differ from the amount actually billed.
- The scope of disclosed items and institutions changes from year to year.
- Price and treatment results cannot be linked using this data.
Korea Non-covered Medical Price Statistics shows the distribution of prices disclosed to HIRA, not the price at any particular institution, and it introduces or recommends no hospital. The relationship between price and treatment results cannot be judged from this data. Disclosed prices can differ from the amount actually billed. For a specific institution, use HIRA’s official non-covered price service.
What basis are these numbers on?
| Snapshot | Source | Reference date | Retrieved | Site calculation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HIRA non-covered fee disclosure (aggregated) | Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | To be filled after the reference date is confirmed | Min, Q1, median, Q3, max by item × region × hospital type; groups under 5 institutions hidden; institution names discarded |
What else do people ask about non-covered prices by region?
Are medical prices higher in Seoul than in other regions?
It differs by item. The regional table shows where each item’s median is reported highest and lowest once data is collected.
Why is my region missing for some items?
Groups with fewer than five institutions are hidden.
Does a lower regional median mean better value?
No. This data cannot show the quality of care.
Can I see prices by district?
This site shows provinces and cities only, to keep groups large enough.
How often is the regional table updated?
When HIRA publishes the yearly disclosure.
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)