Health · Healthcare & Policy · 3 hrs ago
South Korea's Chuna therapy costs rose 60% in four years
South Korean insurance costs for Chuna therapy rose 60% between 2021 and 2025.
Chuna is a hands-on treatment used in traditional Korean medicine.
The combined bill reached 684.9 billion won in 2025, paid through national health insurance and auto insurance.
Health insurance covered 215.5 billion won, while auto insurance covered 469.4 billion won.
One patient was billed 188 times in a year through auto insurance in 2024, the highest annual total among the cases reviewed.
The rise in costs and treatment visits has prompted concern about whether current checks can prevent unnecessary care.
A lawmaker urged checks on repeat claims and reviews and called for improvements to the system, but no specific changes were announced.
South Korea’s Chuna therapy costs under health and auto insurance reached 684.9 billion won in 2025, up 60% from 2021.
Health insurance covered 215.5 billion won of the 2025 total, while auto insurance covered 469.4 billion won.
The number of treatments also rose over the four-year period, by 35.4% under health insurance and 38.8% under auto insurance.
In one 2024 case, an auto insurer was billed for 188 Chuna treatments for the same patient in a year.
A lawmaker called for reviews of repeated claims and the system used to assess them.
- Who
- Chuna therapy patients and the insurers covering their treatment; lawmaker Han Ji-a raised concerns about oversight.
- What
- Costs reached 684.9 billion won in 2025, up 60% from 2021.
- When
- The figures cover 2021 to 2025; the report was published on October 16, 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The increase in costs and repeated treatments prompted calls to check whether existing reviews effectively manage excessive care.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Chuna therapy costs under health and auto insurance totaled 428.1 billion won.
A clinic billed auto insurance for 188 Chuna treatments for one patient in a year.
Combined Chuna therapy costs reached 684.9 billion won.
Yonhap reported the figures and Han Ji-a called for a review of repeated claims and oversight.
- 2025 total cost
- 684.9 billion won
- Increase since 2021
- 60.0%
- Health insurance cost in 2025
- 215.5 billion won
- Auto insurance cost in 2025
- 469.4 billion won
- Highest annual auto-insurance claims for one patient
- 188 treatments in 2024
What people are saying
Reasonable differences based on the medical characteristics of each treatment should be recognized, but there should be no exception in managing excessive treatment.
We need to review repeated claims and claim adjustments for Chuna therapy under health insurance and auto insurance and improve the management system.