South Koreans support faster health insurance listing for new drugs

A public perception survey conducted by Gallup Healthcare reveals that 67.5% of South Koreans believe the current period for listing new drugs on the national health insurance after regulatory approval is too long. Currently, the process takes an average of 23 months, whereas the majority of respondents suggested an appropriate timeframe would be between 4 and 12 months.

The survey, commissioned by the Korea Research Gallup Healthcare and presented at a forum by the Korea Research Gallup Healthcare and the Korea Research Gallup Healthcare, shows strong public support for accelerating access to innovative medicines. Specifically, 74.7% of respondents agreed with introducing a rapid listing system for rare disease treatments, and 73.5% supported shortening the review period to within 100 days. Additionally, 71.5% favored expanding the scope of rapid listing to other disease groups.

While there is high consensus on the need for speed, the public emphasizes that this acceleration must be “reliable,” balancing rapid access with expertise, patient-centeredness, and fiscal sustainability. Experts and patient advocacy groups noted that delays in insurance coverage can lead to significant financial burdens or missed treatment windows for patients with severe or incurable diseases.