"Do You Have to Pay for COVID Testing?"... What's Changing from the 31st

There will be significant changes in COVID-19 response policies starting from the 31st. From now on, individuals will have to bear the cost of rapid antigen tests (RAT) for COVID-19, even if they have symptoms. Additionally, the government plans to limit support for hospitalization expenses that were previously provided through health insurance, focusing it on severe cases.

 

Furthermore, health authorities anticipate that it will be difficult for endemicity (endemic status) to arrive this year.

 

On the 23rd, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters announced in a regular briefing that from the 31st, the classification of COVID-19 as a level 2 infectious disease will be downgraded to level 4. This change is due to the stable management of COVID-19 at a manageable level. On this day, Jung Eun-kyeong, the head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), explained during a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters, "The spread of COVID-19, which had been increasing since the fourth week of June, has recently slowed down and turned into a decreasing trend, and overall epidemic control is being stably managed." She added, "For healthy individuals, the risk of COVID-19 has decreased to the level of seasonal influenza (flu), and medical response capabilities are sufficiently secured."

 

 

When COVID-19 is classified as a level 4 infectious disease, it means it will be managed within the general public health and medical systems, similar to how the flu is managed.

 

One of the biggest changes is the discontinuation of daily reporting and counting of confirmed cases. Instead, positive cases will be reported through a system in 527 medical institutions, and weekly reports on the status of confirmed cases within monitoring agencies, regional, age-specific, gender-specific trends, and the prevalence pattern of variant viruses will be announced.

 

A KDCA official stated during a pre-explanation session on the 22nd, "The positive case reporting system is an intermediate stage between comprehensive surveillance and sample surveillance." They further explained, "We selected 527 primary medical institutions to allow for one facility per 100,000 population. We established a system where patients who received a positive diagnosis could report it when they left the hospital. This is a monitoring system that allows us to closely monitor the occurrence trends and patterns."

 

 

With the transition to level 4, various forms of support will gradually be discontinued. The cost of rapid antigen tests will now be the responsibility of individuals. However, those aged 60 and above, individuals over 12 with underlying conditions, and immunocompromised individuals will only be responsible for 50% of the cost. Additionally, gene amplification (PCR) tests will also incur a 30-60% copayment for the population eligible for oral treatments.

 

Support for hospitalization PCR testing for patients with COVID-19 symptoms will also be discontinued. However, the government will continue to provide 80% support for severe cases, emergency room and intensive care unit patients, and other high-risk hospitalized patients. Additionally, rapid antigen test support will only be provided to emergency room and intensive care unit patients at 50%.

 

 

An official from the KDCA mentioned, "Rapid antigen tests typically cost around KRW 250,000 in medical facilities, with an average cost of about KRW 30,000. With a 50% discount through health insurance, it's estimated to be in the KRW 10,000 range. PCR tests also vary depending on the type of medical institution and cost around KRW 680,000. The patient's cost will vary depending on the copayment rate. The actual amount that individuals will have to bear in health insurance will be discussed with the Ministry of Health and Welfare."

 

According to administrative notice, individuals who receive a COVID-19 positive diagnosis will no longer be eligible for living support or paid leave. Management of remote treatment patients and outpatient treatment for COVID-19 at general medical institutions will also be discontinued.

 

 

However, protective measures for high-risk groups will continue. This includes mandatory indoor mask-wearing within hospital-grade medical institutions and indoor mask-wearing in indoor infection-prone facilities. Pre-entry tests will continue for residents entering nursing hospitals and facilities. Patients, caregivers, and staff in medical institutions will also undergo pre-entry testing when necessary.

 

Selective testing centers will remain operational. This is to conduct continuous pre-entry testing for high-risk group testing, infection-prone facility testing, and medical institution infection control. An official from the KDCA explained, "After the transition to level 4, general individuals visiting testing centers with rapid antigen test kits will be discontinued."

 

Hospital capacity will continue to be maintained, considering the state of epidemic control. Recommendations for isolation within healthcare facilities for COVID-19 patients, hospitalization support, integrated isolation management fees, and isolation room admission fees for high-risk groups will also continue to be in effect.

 

 

An official from the KDCA stated, "Recent epidemic control policies have focused more on managing high-risk groups than controlling the scale of the epidemic." They further explained, "In local communities, not wearing masks by healthy individuals is not seen as a significantly higher risk." However, they emphasized that minimizing exposure risks in hospitals and infection-prone facilities is helpful in managing high-risk situations.

 

One-time vaccination (two times for immunocompromised individuals) will be provided for free. This is a measure to prevent hospitalization and death among high-risk groups. The XBB.1.5 vaccine, newly developed for the current variant epidemic of the XBB lineage, will be introduced based on recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

 

Treatment will also be provided for free. Additional oral treatments for winter epidemic preparedness will be purchased. An official from the KDCA mentioned, "We are preparing for the inclusion of oral treatments in health insurance, keeping in mind that the drugs are expensive and it takes time to determine drug prices. Until they are included in insurance, they will be provided for free."

 

After the transition to level 4, the "caution" stage will be maintained until the epidemic stabilizes. This is a measure to continue focusing on policies aimed at protecting high-risk groups. An official from the KDCA explained, "Lowering the stage when the number of confirmed cases increases can also increase the economic burden on the public." They added that the decision to move to the "alert" stage will be made after comprehensive consideration of epidemic conditions and response levels, in consultation with other ministries and experts.

 

 

Furthermore, health authorities anticipate that it will be difficult for endemicity (endemic status) to arrive this year. An official from the KDCA stated, "The transition to level 3 is a sign of approaching endemic characteristics. It means that COVID-19 will occur in a more predictable manner, and if people receive vaccinations once a year and pass that period well, there will be less concern about COVID-19. It is predicted to be difficult to reach this point within 2023, and at the earliest, it is expected after 2024."

 

They continued, "The timing of implementing level 3 measures, moving from the crisis stage to the alert stage, will depend on future epidemic situations and response levels. We plan to discuss and decide in conjunction with other ministries and experts when we can manage the situation stably."