요약 본문
The government has selected manual therapy, percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, and radiothermal therapy as ‘managed benefits’ due to concerns of overuse. The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced this decision during the 4th meeting of the Non-covered Medical Treatment Management Policy Council.
The government is converting frequently abused non-covered medical services into managed benefits, setting prices and standards for coverage, and providing periodic management. At the 3rd meeting held on October 14, manual therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, radiothermal therapy, and speech therapy were initially examined for managed benefits.
In the 4th meeting, it was decided to select manual therapy, percutaneous epidural neuroplasty, and radiothermal therapy as managed benefits, while extracorporeal shock wave therapy and speech therapy would be discussed again in the future. Selected items will undergo evaluations by a suitability review committee and expert evaluation committee, with final decisions on coverage standards and prices made by the Health Insurance Policy Review Committee.
Kwon Byeong-ki, Director of Essential Medical Support at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained that the managed benefits system aims to address problems of excessive treatment and price differences for some non-covered items while mitigating personnel outflow to non-essential medical areas. He added that they will continue to set reasonable prices and coverage standards and monitor the effects to improve the system.