18,000 people with health concerns for 5 years...12,000 people visit the hospital more than 365 times a year amid controversy over doctor shopping
Oct 09, 2025
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Health anxiety, also called disease anxiety disorder, is a disease that is excessively worried about one's health and is abnormally concerned by the belief or anxiety that one has a serious disease. Even if a doctor does not have an abnormality in physical examination, he or she visits several hospitals and demands a retest, causing controversy over 'Doctor Shopping'. If Doctor Shopping lasts for more than six months, it is likely to be a health concern.
According to the data received from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service by Rep. Seo Myung-ok (People's Power), a member of the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee, a total of 2,478 patients visited the hospital due to health concerns between January and July this year.
The number of patients in the last five years (2020-2024) is 2962 in 2020, 3864 in 2021, 3682 in 2022, 3866 in 2023, and 3504 last year. From 2020 to July this year, the total medical expenses charged for health concerns amounted to 5.67 billion won.
Meanwhile, the number of patients who visited the hospital more than 365 times a year for outpatient treatment was found to have exceeded 12,000 over the past five years.
According to the data received from the National Health Insurance Corporation by Rep. Seo Myung-ok's office, 2,288 patients received more than 365 outpatient treatments per year covered by health insurance last year. By age group, 774 people (32.6%) were in their 70s, 524 people (22.9%) were in their 60s, and 438 people (19.1%) were in their 80s or older, but 65 people were in their 30s and 27 people were in their 20s.
In order to prevent unnecessary medical abuse, the NHIC has introduced a difference-in-pocket system (except in inevitable cases) that applies 90% of the out-of-pocket rate to those who use 365 outpatient treatments per year since July last year, but the number of excesses has not decreased significantly compared to the previous year. Looking at the status of excesses over the last five years, 2535 in 2020, 2564 in 2021, 2497 in 2022, 2463 in 2023, and 2,288 last year. However, it is predicted that the number of excesses may decrease significantly this year due to the self-payment difference system introduced in the second half of last year.
Rep. Seo Myeong-ok said, `Considering the current state of public health concerns, we should increase the budget related to the prevention of excessive medical use to actively create an environment in which medical care can be used rationally," he stressed.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
