[Editor's Pick] Complaining of a 5 Trillion Won Deficit, Yet Expanding Coverage for 'Hair Loss' While Delaying Atopic Dermatitis and Lung Cancer Treatments?

In front of a clinic in Jongno-gu, Seoul, often referred to as a "mecca for hair loss treatment," it is easy to spot citizens leaving with their prescriptions.

Currently, health insurance covers hair loss classified as a medical condition, such as alopecia areata. However, there is ongoing debate over whether coverage should be extended to hair loss caused by genetics or hormones.

[Person A: (Comparing before and after treatment) The quality of life is completely different. It gives you confidence. For men, especially, appearance is often proportional to the amount of hair... I think hair loss should also be considered a medical condition.]

[Person B: (The medication cost) is just over 10,000 won a month, so it shouldn't be considered too much. For drugs that are genuinely expensive? I don't know about those.]

The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which had previously expressed a negative stance on applying health insurance to hair loss treatment,

[Jeong Eun-kyeong / Minister of Health and Welfare (December last year): We do not view it as a condition that affects one's life...]

has recently changed its position, stating it will push for the expansion of health insurance benefits.

While the ministry claims to have completed a working-level review on how much additional funding is required, it has not disclosed who will be eligible or how much support will be provided.

[Jeong Eun-kyeong / Minister of Health and Welfare (Today): We have reviewed various implementation plans, but the process of gathering social opinions at the 'Public Forum' (next month) must come first...]

The National Assembly Budget Office has projected that the health insurance fund will face a deficit of over 5 trillion won starting this year.

The government plans to reduce health insurance support for 105 minor illnesses, such as cataracts and atopic dermatitis, yet it is showing a willingness to provide support for hereditary hair loss treatment, which has traditionally been classified as a cosmetic procedure.

There are voices arguing that priority should be given to treatments for critical illnesses directly linked to survival.

[Kim Sung-ju / Chairman of the Korea Alliance of Patients with Severe Diseases: Even though new drugs for conditions like pancreatic cancer or lung cancer are emerging, there are such difficult hurdles to overcome before they are covered by insurance. Patients are waiting for years...]

The government must disclose the financial estimates required for hair loss treatment support and begin building a consensus on how to allocate limited resources.

Complaining of a health insurance deficit... yet expanding support for 'hair loss' treatment? (June 17, 2026, 8 O'Clock News)

Reported by Park Ha-jung | Video Editing by Kim Ho-jin | Graphics by Kim Ha-neul | VJ by Shin So-young | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.