ID :
205774
Wed, 09/07/2011 - 12:32
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/205774
The shortlink copeid
(Yonhap Editorial) Gov't, hospitals must solve conflict over cancer surgery costs
SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- Cancer patients are suffering from added agony due to a conflict between the government and general hospitals over reduced fees for a state-of-the-art type of gastric cancer surgery. Hospitals, claiming that the government has set the cost too low, are canceling scheduled procedures.
Some large hospitals in Seoul including Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center canceled scheduled endoscopic submucosal (EDS) dissections, surgery used for treating early-stage stomach cancer early this month. Other general hospitals in Seoul and rural areas have also reportedly notified their patients of cancellations.
The bone of contention is the reduced surgery fee for EDS operations. The procedure has recently been included in the list of operations to be covered by national health insurance and the fee was cut drastically. Hospitals used to set the price at between 1.5 million ($1,300) and 3 million won per procedure before it was covered by insurance but under the new system, hospitals will only be able to charge around 420,000 won.
In addition, the ministry has approved ESD only for stomach tumors smaller than 2 centimeters.
Hospitals complain that they cannot possibly provide such operations under the reduced fee set unreasonably low. An organization representing doctors said the price of a scalpel used for EDS surgery ranges from 200,000 won to 400,000 won but the government has set the price at 90,000 won.
The health ministry said it set the fee for EDS procedures in consultation with the Korean Medical Association and makers of surgical equipment, excluding Olympus, because the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Olympus have not submitted the data necessary to set the fee.
About 28,000 people develop gastric cancer in South Korea every year and 8 percent of them get ESD surgeries annually.
If early-stage gastric cancer patients get EDS surgery they can be discharged from hospital within only three to four days and can engage in normal daily activities, according to medical experts. Conventional operations using laparoscopes or ventrotomies require much longer recovery time.
Many patients who are waiting for EDS surgery are suffering from added pains and eagerly hope the conflict between the ministry and hospitals ends as early as possible.
The related parties should engage in whole-hearted negotiations to solve the problem at the earliest date in order to help relieve patients' pain.
(END)
Some large hospitals in Seoul including Asan Medical Center and Samsung Medical Center canceled scheduled endoscopic submucosal (EDS) dissections, surgery used for treating early-stage stomach cancer early this month. Other general hospitals in Seoul and rural areas have also reportedly notified their patients of cancellations.
The bone of contention is the reduced surgery fee for EDS operations. The procedure has recently been included in the list of operations to be covered by national health insurance and the fee was cut drastically. Hospitals used to set the price at between 1.5 million ($1,300) and 3 million won per procedure before it was covered by insurance but under the new system, hospitals will only be able to charge around 420,000 won.
In addition, the ministry has approved ESD only for stomach tumors smaller than 2 centimeters.
Hospitals complain that they cannot possibly provide such operations under the reduced fee set unreasonably low. An organization representing doctors said the price of a scalpel used for EDS surgery ranges from 200,000 won to 400,000 won but the government has set the price at 90,000 won.
The health ministry said it set the fee for EDS procedures in consultation with the Korean Medical Association and makers of surgical equipment, excluding Olympus, because the Korean Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and Olympus have not submitted the data necessary to set the fee.
About 28,000 people develop gastric cancer in South Korea every year and 8 percent of them get ESD surgeries annually.
If early-stage gastric cancer patients get EDS surgery they can be discharged from hospital within only three to four days and can engage in normal daily activities, according to medical experts. Conventional operations using laparoscopes or ventrotomies require much longer recovery time.
Many patients who are waiting for EDS surgery are suffering from added pains and eagerly hope the conflict between the ministry and hospitals ends as early as possible.
The related parties should engage in whole-hearted negotiations to solve the problem at the earliest date in order to help relieve patients' pain.
(END)
