Regional Patients' Capital Area Medical Migration Costs 4.6 Trillion Won Annually, Severe Healthcare Imbalance

A study by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs revealed that the annual cost of regional patients traveling to the Seoul metropolitan area for medical treatment reached 4.6 trillion won in 2023. This staggering figure highlights the severe healthcare imbalance caused by insufficient medical capabilities in regional healthcare institutions.

Structural Problems in Regional Healthcare Systems

The primary reason regional patients seek treatment in the capital area stems from the shortage of specialized medical professionals and lack of advanced medical equipment in regional healthcare facilities. Particularly for severe illnesses or complex surgeries, patients often cannot receive adequate treatment locally.

Consequently, patients must bear additional costs including transportation, accommodation, and caregiving expenses. Family members frequently accompany patients during treatment periods, further exacerbating the economic burden.

Breakdown of the 4.6 Trillion Won Cost

The annual 4.6 trillion won cost encompasses more than just direct medical expenses. This figure includes transportation costs for patients and caregivers, accommodation expenses in the capital area, caregiving fees, and opportunity costs incurred by regional economies.

For critical patients requiring long-term treatment, these ancillary costs often exceed the actual medical treatment expenses.

Regional Healthcare Disparities

While healthcare imbalances exist nationwide, they are particularly severe in non-metropolitan regions such as Gangwon Province, North Chungcheong Province, and North Jeolla Province. These areas face an absolute shortage of university hospital-level medical institutions and struggle with securing specialized physicians.

Residents in these regions often require emergency transfers to the capital area, making this a life-threatening issue.

Concentration of Medical Professionals in Capital Area

One fundamental cause of regional healthcare imbalance is the concentration of medical professionals in the Seoul metropolitan area. Specialists prefer large hospitals in the capital region, leaving regional medical institutions with chronic staffing shortages.

Furthermore, capital area hospitals equipped with cutting-edge medical technology and research environments continue to attract top talent, widening the healthcare gap between regions and the capital area.

Limitations of Government Policies

The government has implemented various policies including expansion of regional public hospitals and medical professional dispatch programs. However, fundamental solutions remain elusive.

Critics point to insufficient incentive systems to encourage medical professionals to settle in regional areas and inadequate measures to enhance the competitiveness of regional medical institutions.

Necessary Solutions

Experts emphasize that addressing regional healthcare imbalances requires comprehensive, long-term approaches. Substantial increased investment in regional medical institutions is needed, along with strong incentive systems to encourage medical professionals to work in regional areas.

Additionally, expansion of telemedicine systems to connect capital area specialists with regional patients should be actively considered as a viable solution.

Original: https://trendy.storydot.kr/society/regional-patient-capital-migration-costs