The South Korean government will raise monthly healthcare insurance payments by three-point-two percent next year,... but some ultrasound tests will be covered by the insurance.
Our Choi Si-young tells more.
Next year, South Koreans will pay around three U.S. dollars more a month for their national health insurance payments.
Workers will pay about 95 dollars a month while the retirees and self-employed, known as "regional subscribers", will pay about 74 dollars.
Setting the rate on Thursday, the health ministry said the raise in insurance payments was a compromise between the government, which wanted a larger increase, and labor unions, which demanded a smaller increase.
On the same day, the ministry also unveiled measures that will bring down the cost of some medical expenses.
Starting September, health insurance will apply to ultrasounds of the prostate, bladder and other male reproductive parts.
The ministry says around nine-hundred-thousand men will see a reduction in their expenses.
It says those patients could pay around one third of what they pay now with the new insurance coverage.
Health insurance will also newly apply to some females undergoing medical examinations.
Starting next year, females who gave birth prematurely or have underweight babies will pay less for their regular check-ups.
Those patients will only have to pay five percent of the entire cost, down from ten percent now.
The health ministry says it plans to raise healthcare payment rates by an average of around three-and-a-half percent every year until 2022.
Choi Si-young, Arirang News.