[theqoo] GOVERNMENT SEEKS PUBLIC OPINION ON EXTENDING HEALTH INSURANCE TO COVER M-SHAPE BALDNESS, SEEN AS “YOUTH SURVIVAL ISSUE”

 
According to the Ministry on the 14th, it plans to pursue expanded health insurance coverage for hair loss treatments in the second half of this year after collecting public feedback. The government says it will evaluate whether insurance support is appropriate by comprehensively considering medical necessity and cost-effectiveness.

The move follows a directive from President Lee Jae-myung, who stated during a Ministry briefing late last year that “hair loss is increasingly being viewed not merely as a cosmetic issue but as a matter of survival.” He requested a review of insurance coverage. During the 2022 presidential election, Lee had also pledged to extend health insurance coverage to hair loss treatments.

The Health Minister stated:
“We have already conducted practical reviews regarding how much funding would be required if hair loss treatment were covered by health insurance. A survey of 1,000 citizens conducted by the National Health Insurance Service also showed positive responses toward applying insurance coverage.”

A survey conducted by Korea’s largest hair-loss community, Daedamo, which has more than 440,000 members, found that 84% of over 800 respondents supported applying health insurance coverage to hair-loss medications, while 16% opposed it.

According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA), approximately 25,000 patients received treatment for androgenetic alopecia (male/female pattern baldness). Considering those who never visit hospitals or clinics, the actual number of sufferers is expected to be much higher.

As of 2024, 88,760 patients in their 20s and 30s received medical treatment for hair loss. If insurance coverage is expanded, at least these patients’ financial burden is expected to be reduced.

Analysts estimate that applying health insurance coverage to androgenetic alopecia treatments could require more than 100 billion won (75K USD) in annual funding. However, the Ministry has not yet decided how far support should extend, what the patient co-payment rate should be, or whether limits should be placed on the number of covered treatments.