Prices for medical services not covered by South Korea's national health insurance, known as non-covered care, are set by each provider, making it worth comparing costs before treatment. The gap is widest for dental implants, where charges differ by nearly 20 times depending on the hospital.
Shock Wave Therapy Ranges From 70,000 to 175,000 Won
A total of 74,449 medical institutions nationwide disclosed price information this year, according to the 2026 non-covered treatment cost data released on the 3rd by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA).
Non-covered items are those the national health insurance does not pay for, leaving patients to cover the full cost. Unlike covered services, providers set their own prices, so the amount charged for the same treatment can vary from one hospital to another.
The average cost of extracorporeal shock wave therapy this year was about 77,900 won, up 1.9% from a year earlier. Among clinics, one in Gyeonggi Province charged the median price of 70,000 won, while one in Seoul set the highest price at 175,000 won — a 2.5-fold difference for the same treatment.
The gap was even wider for prolotherapy on limb joints, performed to relieve pain. The median price at clinics was 50,000 won, but the highest was 201,000 won, roughly four times as much. Needle-free jet injection therapy also ranged from a median of 20,000 won to a high of 55,000 won.
This year's disclosure covers 753 items, 60 more than last year. Of the 593 items disclosed in both years, 436, or 73.5%, saw average prices rise. Price dispersion among providers widened from the previous year for 337 items, or 56.8%.
Implants Range From 300,000 Won to 5.937 Million Won
For dental implants, one of the most common non-covered procedures, the average price edged down while the gap between providers widened.
The average implant cost this year was 1.181 million won, down 0.9% from a year earlier. For zirconia implants at clinics, one dental office in Gyeongsangnam-do charged the median price of 1.1 million won, while one in Seoul set the highest price at 1.72 million won.
The spread was far larger among hospital-level institutions. The lowest price was 300,000 won and the highest 5.937 million won, a gap of about 19.8 times. The highest price jumped 28.8% from 4.61 million won last year to 5.937 million won this year.
A higher price does not necessarily mean a hospital is overcharging. The ministry said differences in treatment standards, procedural difficulty, staffing and equipment can be reflected in non-covered prices.
Prices Can Be Checked on the Health Insurance App
Patients who want to avoid large price gaps should compare costs before receiving care. Non-covered fees by provider can be checked on the HIRA website or through its mobile application.
Starting this year, users can also look up the prices of treatment materials used in procedures. The service provides results of health technology reassessments on the safety and effectiveness of non-covered care, along with insurance coverage criteria. Comparison screens by region and provider size also show the "modal price," the amount charged by the largest number of institutions.
The government is tightening oversight of non-covered care as well. The ministry applied managed coverage to manual therapy from July 1, and standards on the frequency of extracorporeal shock wave therapy were set through voluntary correction by the medical community. Officials plan to expand the list of items under managed coverage to curb excessive non-covered treatment and reduce patients' medical expenses.
For non-covered care, the amount a patient pays for the same treatment can differ several times over depending on the hospital. Checking the content of the treatment and health technology assessments, not just the price, before choosing a provider is the way to avoid unnecessary spending.
