The Ministry of Health and Welfare(MOHW) (Minister Kwon Deok-cheol) held the 25th Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee(HIPDC)*, chaired by MOHW 2nd Vice Minister Ryu Geun-hyuk) on November 25, 2021. The KIPDC decided on the benefits package and fee schedule. The HIPDC also received reports on plans for pilot programs and supplementary policy measures for the current system.
The most prominent agendas were whether certain services or drugs should be included in the health insurance benefits package and to which extent the upper limit of reimbursement should be. For drugs, the upper limit (or expected claim amount) was determined after evaluation by the Drug Benefit Evaluation Committee(DBEC) of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service(HIRA) and negotiations with the National Health Insurance Service(NHIS) regarding clinical usefulness, cost-effectiveness, opinions of related societies, and the status of listing in excluded countries.
On the other hand, the increase in the aging population accelerated the expansion of end-of-life care and patient’s decision on life-sustaining treatment. At this HIPDC, two pilot projects, advisory hospice services and decision-making activities on life-sustaining treatment, were reported. The pilot results contributed to establishing the fee schedule and application guidelines for the new services in the NHI benefits package.
* Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee(HIPDC) is a body that finally deliberates and decides on matters related to the Korean national health insurance system, consisting of the government, medical providers, and the insured.
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