Unclaimed Hospital Cost Refunds Reach 38.0 Billion Won Due to Lack of Awareness

[Anchor]

It is Tuesday, and we have reporter Han Jiyeon with us for "Friendly Economy." Han, what do you have for us today, August 4?

[Reporter]

There is a system called the out-of-pocket maximum for medical expenses, which refunds the excess amount if you pay a lot for hospital bills.

However, the amount that has evaporated because people failed to apply for it is nearing 38.0 billion won.

There is what the government calls the "out-of-pocket maximum limit."

To put it simply, if the medical bills you paid over the course of a year exceed a certain threshold, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) refunds the amount that went over.

Naturally, this "threshold" varies depending on income.

Based on this year, the top 10 percent who pay high health insurance premiums must pay more than 8.43 million won in a year to qualify.

Meanwhile, the bottom 10 percent who pay the lowest premiums become eligible if they exceed just 900,000 won.

So, even if you pay the same medical bills, the lower your income, the easier it is to get a larger refund.

However, expenses like dental implants or premium hospital rooms are not covered by this system no matter how much you pay.

You might wonder how you are supposed to add everything up and keep track of whether you exceed this limit.

As it turns out, if you exceed the maximum limit, the NHIS sends out individual notices—in fact, they send them three times.

Despite this, the number of cases where people fail to receive their refunds because they didn't apply has been steadily increasing.

What used to be around 1.3 billion won in 2021 swelled to 55.0 billion won in 2023, and exceeded 170.0 billion won last year.

In fact, the unclaimed money from past failures to apply amounts to over 420,000 cases totaling more than 360.0 billion won.

Among this, 37.8 billion won has passed the 3-year application deadline and can now no longer be claimed at all.

For reference, another survey showed that among those missing out, the proportion of lower-income individuals is actually even larger.

This also means that the very people who should be receiving the most help from this system are the ones missing out the most.

[Anchor]

Then what should one do to receive the refund?

[Reporter]

You can apply using the notice you received through the channels you see here.

If you find it bothersome to pay attention to notices like this, the simplest method is to pre-register your personal bank account.

If you pre-register your account at an NHIS branch or customer center, whenever an amount exceeding the maximum limit arises in the future, it will be refunded automatically without needing a separate application.

However, if you haven't registered this account, it is a different story.

Even if a notice arrives from the agency, you can only receive the money if you look at it and apply directly.

As for how to apply, you can use whichever method is convenient among the website, mobile app, phone, or visiting in person.

Even if you haven't received a notice, you can check immediately by searching through the mobile app or visiting a nearby NHIS branch.

In particular, older generations might miss the notices.

Since identity verification is required to check, we recommend looking it up together with your parents once.

Also, one thing to watch out for is that during refund seasons like this—namely August and September—there could be smishing scams approaching people with text messages saying "We are sending you your refund."

It is much safer not to click links in text messages and instead go directly to the NHIS website or app to check.

[Anchor]

I also heard there is a processed food discount event this month?

[Reporter]

It is taking place throughout the month of August, meaning this entire month.

Items such as instant noodles, ready-to-eat meals, snacks, beverages, and ice cream are discounted by up to 57 percent.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has teamed up with 10 food companies to sell over 3,800 items at discounted prices.

You can consider almost all types of food items to be included.

Looking more closely by company, Nongshim is discounting 104 products including ramen and snacks by up to 33 percent; CJ CheilJedang is discounting over 1,200 products including ready-to-eat meals, frozen foods, and kimchi by up to 50 percent; and Lotte Chilsung Beverage is discounting nearly 700 products including cola, cider, and coffee by up to 57 percent.

In addition, Paldo, Pulmuone Foods, Ottogi, and Coca-Cola have each put out around 200 to 400 discounted products.

As for where you can buy them, the sales locations are diverse.

The event is running simultaneously at multiple places, including large supermarkets, convenience stores, and online malls.

However, because the discount period and rate may vary by store and product, it is a good idea to check once before you go grocery shopping.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.