Ministry cancels public forum on extending health insurance to hair-loss treatment

The government has canceled a planned public forum that was set to debate whether national health insurance should cover hair-loss treatment.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced Monday it was halting plans to hold the forum on expanding health insurance coverage to hair-loss treatment.

"Taking into account the wide range of views expressed ahead of the forum and the various positions that have been sufficiently raised regarding the expansion of hair-loss coverage, we determined it necessary to take more time for review," the ministry said. It added that even without the forum, it would continue to develop policies aimed at addressing the health needs of youth and the broader public, and at strengthening national health insurance coverage.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety had earlier announced plans to hold both offline and online forums to allow citizens to participate directly in the policymaking process — the offline sessions would feature expert presentations followed by public deliberation, while the online component would let citizens freely share opinions through the public engagement platform "Sotong 24." The two ministries had been set to hold the first offline forum in Seoul on July 4 on the topic of extending national health insurance coverage to hair-loss treatments.

The issue of covering hair-loss medication under national health insurance arose after President Lee Jae Myung ordered a review during a Ministry of Health and Welfare briefing late last year. Health and Welfare Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong cited the expansion of health insurance coverage for hair-loss treatment as a key second-half priority at a press briefing marking the first anniversary of the current administration on June 11.

The proposal drew sustained criticism, however, as many patients with serious and rare diseases continue to struggle with the cost of treatment and medication, raising concerns about directing health insurance funds — already at risk of falling into deficit — toward hair-loss care.

The Korea Serious Disease Patient Association issued a statement criticizing the move. "The fundamental purpose of the national health insurance system is to serve as a social safety net protecting the life and health of citizens from unexpected illness and the burden of high medical costs," it said. "Expanding coverage to hair-loss treatment is dangerous populism that directly undermines the 'medical necessity' and 'coverage priority' principles at the core of national health insurance."

The Korean Medical Association also weighed in, saying that "in essential medical settings, patients are already struggling to receive timely care due to staff shortages and deteriorating finances." It warned that "discussing national health insurance coverage for hair-loss treatment without a thorough review of priorities and a fiscal impact assessment could undermine the direction of health insurance financial management."

With the ministry canceling the forum amid criticism from the medical community, patient groups and other sectors, some observers suggest the policy push has in effect been put on hold.