South Jeolla tops monthly medical costs at W282,000; Seoul leads in breast cancer cases

South Jeolla Province recorded the highest average monthly medical expenditure per person last year, exceeding the lowest-spending region — Sejong — by more than 100,000 won ($75). Among major cancers, breast cancer had the highest patient count per 100,000 people covered under medical protection, while periodontal disease topped the list of major non-cancer conditions.

The National Health Insurance Service announced Monday the release of its 2025 Regional Healthcare Utilization Statistical Yearbook, which tracks medical service use by city, county and district for national health insurance subscribers and medical aid recipients.

According to the yearbook, the total population covered under medical protection stood at about 53.02 million at the end of last year, up 0.04 percent from the previous year. The population aged 65 and older reached 11 million, a 5.8 percent increase. By province and metropolitan city, South Jeolla Province had the highest share of residents aged 65 and older under medical coverage at 27.7 percent, followed by North Gyeongsang Province at 26.7 percent, Gangwon Province at 26.4 percent, North Jeolla Province at 26.0 percent and Busan at 24.9 percent.

Total national health insurance premiums assessed last year came to 87.5 trillion won, up 4.2 percent from the previous year. Workplace premiums accounted for 76.93 trillion won, or 87.9 percent of the total, while regional premiums made up 10.56 trillion won, or 12.1 percent.

Average monthly premiums per subscriber household varied by region. Among workplace subscribers, Seoul led at 176,342 won, followed by Ulsan at 172,181 won and Sejong at 170,424 won. Among regional subscribers, Seoul again topped the list at 126,362 won, followed by Sejong at 104,259 won and Gyeonggi Province at 103,227 won.

Total medical expenditure under medical protection reached 137.51 trillion won ($103 billion). The average monthly medical cost per patient was 228,871 won nationwide, with South Jeolla Province recording the highest at 281,892 won and Sejong the lowest at 179,888 won. Average monthly hospital visit days also varied widely — South Jeolla Province led at 2.35 days while Sejong had the fewest at 1.67 days.

Among major cancers, breast cancer had the highest prevalence at 551 patients per 100,000 people covered. Breaking down by cancer type and region, stomach cancer was most prevalent in North Gyeongsang Province at 392 per 100,000; liver cancer in South Jeolla Province at 258; bronchial and lung cancer in South Jeolla Province at 351; colorectal cancer in Gangwon Province at 411; breast cancer in Seoul at 622; and cervical cancer in Busan at 125.

Among major non-cancer conditions, periodontal disease had the highest patient count at 45,336 per 100,000 people covered. By condition and region, hypertension was most prevalent in Gangwon Province at 19,867 per 100,000; diabetes in South Jeolla Province at 10,195; periodontal disease in Seoul at 49,124; arthritis in South Jeolla Province at 18,647; mental illness in North Jeolla Province at 10,647; infectious disease in Gwangju at 23,359; and liver disease in Busan at 3,353.

The yearbook is available Monday on the National Health Insurance Service website and will also be accessible through the Korean Statistical Information Service, operated by the Ministry of Statistics.