Insurance coverage now includes zirconia for dental implant treatment for seniors aged 65 and older

A few days ago, I got a zirconia crown for my cavity treatment and paid over 500,000 won, which was quite shocking.

It only applies to seniors aged 65 and older, unfortunately.

Teeth can cost a lot of money once they hurt... but it has improved for the better.

The coverage for dental caries examinations will also be expanded to include individuals up to 15 years old.

Be sure to get a scaling once a year~

 

Zirconia has been added to the dental implant prosthetic materials covered by health insurance exclusively for seniors aged 65 and older.

✅Dental caries examination coverage expanded from ages 5 to 12 to include those under 15

(The interval has also been changed from once every six months to once every three months.)

 

 

Zirconia will be added as a dental implant prosthetic material covered by health insurance for seniors aged 65 and older. The age range for dental caries examination coverage will also be expanded from the existing 5 to 12 years old to include those under 15.

On the 27th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held the 25th Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee and announced that they had approved plans to expand coverage in the dental field containing these details.

Currently, dental implants are covered by health insurance only when performed as non-metallic ceramic restorations for those aged 65 and older. However, zirconia restorative materials will also be added to the list of covered benefits in the future. The age range for dental caries screening coverage has been expanded from the existing 5 to 12 years old to include those up to 15 years old. The interval for screenings has also been changed from once every six months per oral cavity to once every three months.

The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) reviewed the performance evaluation results and extension plans for 13 pilot projects related to the National Health Insurance (NHI) that are scheduled to end this month. As a result, 12 pilot projects, including the advanced general hospital in-depth consultation fee pilot project and the severe pediatric home medical care pilot project, will be extended for three years. The pilot project supporting continuous treatment for mental health patients, specifically the activation of acute phase treatment, will be transitioned into a full-scale project.

The results of the activities of the Medical Cost Analysis Committee under the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service were also reported. This year, the committee analyzed whether the payment rates for hospitalization, surgery, and treatment were appropriately determined for 77 general hospitals. The government, through the third reorganization of relative value units implemented earlier this year, increased the rates for hospitalization and surgery/treatment, and abolished additional charges for specimen and imaging tests, thereby partially improving the imbalance in payment rates. The Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service has decided to shorten the reorganization cycle from the current 5-7 years to 2 years to enable prompt adjustments to payment rates that reflect clinical practice.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare stated, "Through this committee's activities, we have established an infrastructure for adjusting fee-based rates," and added, "We expect to expand the target institutions in the future and continuously improve the cost survey system to establish a regular and systematic rate adjustment framework."

 

<Source: Money Today>