South Korea To Charge Extra 500-Won For Saturday Morning Visits To Local Clinics And Oriental Medicine Clinics In Order To Prevent Doctors From Having To Work The Entire Day

A new policy has been implemented on Saturday in local clinics and oriental medicine clinics in South Korea that will subject patients to an additional charge of 500 won for their Saturday morning visits, reported Korea JoongAng Daily Oct. 6.

The move is directed towards decreasing the number of weekend consultations from office workers as doctors have already been complaining of having to work the whole day on Saturdays.

"Even though [500 won] is not a large amount, the rise in medical expenses comes as a huge pressure along with the rise in taxes and transportation costs," pointed Kim Young Joo, a South Korean office worker who receives treatment for back pain on Saturday mornings.

Previously, clinics charged 4,200 won for weekday consultations, 4,700 won for Saturday morning consultations and 5,200 won for Saturday afternoon consultations. With the newly implemented policy, consultation fee for Saturday mornings will increase to 5,200 won.

The Saturday morning basic medical fee has also been reportedly raised by 30 percent since October 2013.The National Health Insurance Service covered the additional 1,000 won between October 2013 and October 2014 in order to defer the increase. Subsidy was also decreased by 50 percent and patients were subject to paying 4,700 won on Saturday morning visits.

By October this year, the subsidy will no longer be offered, but people over 65-years-old will only be subjected to pay their higher medical fee once their bill exceeds 15,000 won.

Some doctors, however, raised concerns on the new policy.

"I'm worried that clinics may be viewed as selfish or greedy," expressed an otolaryngologist who runs a hospital in Jung District, central Seoul.

The news is not the first time people in South Korea will be hearing medical facilities charging extra money for their services.

On Feb. 15, 2010, Korea Times reported major hospitals in South Korea are charging foreigners 2.5 to 3 times more than the local. The reason being these hospitals are globally competitive and that they are giving high quality services.

said Noh Jung Woo, chief administration officer of a South Korean hospital.

Other people, however, do not believe that medical facilities should be overcharging patients.

"Hospitals should be compensated for their extra efforts to attract and treat foreign patients, such as marketing campaigns, catering customized meals and hiring interpreters," said Lee Young Ho, marketing director of the Global Healthcare Business Center.

"What concerns patients who shop for the best health care is not how much more they have to pay compared to locals, but how good the product is compared to the ones offered by other hospitals worldwide," Lee added