National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), South Korea

The National Health Insurance Service describes itself as a non-profit single insurer that provides health insurance to all citizens living in Korea, under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Welfare: it manages eligibility, collects contributions, contracts fees with providers and pays benefits, while HIRA reviews fees and quality. Lower-income people are covered by Medical Aid instead. It negotiates the price of each newly listed drug after HIRA's assessment and sends the invitations for the National Cancer Screening Program.

Its page on the special co-payment scheme (본인일부부담금 산정특례) sets out what a cancer diagnosis changes. A patient whose cancer is confirmed and registered pays 5 per cent of the cost of covered care, outpatient or inpatient, including CT, MRI and PET scans and pharmacy, for five years, against the usual 30 to 60 per cent for outpatient care and 20 per cent for a hospital stay. Registration applies from the date of diagnosis if made within 30 days. A patient with residual, metastatic or recurrent disease still on treatment when the five years end can register again. The scheme does not reach items the patient pays in full, selectively covered items, two- and three-bed rooms, meals or non-covered care.