Dental Care Reimbursement Rate for 2024 Finalized with 3.2% Increase

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Korea: The Korean Dental Association has finalized the dental care reimbursement rate for 2024, resulting in a 3.2% increase. The contract for healthcare reimbursement costs was concluded with the National Health Insurance Corporation on the 8th of June. Negotiations took place from May 31 to June 1 and involved four types of healthcare providers, namely hospitals, traditional medicine practitioners, public health institutions, and maternity hospitals.

Significant Changes in Fee Contract

This year’s fee contract brings significant changes compared to previous years. In addition to the existing SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) model, the contract incorporates four new models that reference the GDP growth rate, MEI (Medical Expenditure Index), and other factors. Moreover, for the first time, suppliers and subscribers participated in forums for system development, moving away from the conventional overnight negotiations. 

Acting director of the National Health Insurance Corporation, Hyun Jae-ryong, emphasized the efforts made to address system improvement demands and achieve a reasonable balance based on mutual trust and respect. He stated, “Given the significant gap between subscribers and suppliers, we aimed to go beyond overnight negotiations and believe that we achieved good results, especially considering the surplus in health insurance finances for two consecutive years.”

Call for Further Financial Discussions

Various healthcare provider associations have responded positively to the National Health Insurance Corporation’s efforts in this year’s fee negotiation. However, criticisms have emerged regarding recurring issues that they felt were not adequately addressed. Concerns include the conventional negotiation structure, lack of financial discussions, and one-sided decisions by the financial subcommittee.

Vice Chairman Ma Kyung-hwa of the Korean Dental Association acknowledged the progress made in this year’s fee negotiation but called for further discussions on financial issues. She suggested convening a system development advisory body before deciding on insurance premiums in August to address these concerns.

Yoon Dong-seop, President of the Korean Hospital Association, expressed disappointment with the fee increase budget, which was set at a level similar to previous years despite higher expectations from the hospital industry. He also criticized the one-sided decisions of the financial subcommittee, highlighting the need for equal positions and conditions during negotiations.