Korea moving to introduce state-run health insurance for pets
Lee Seog-jae, a 65-year-old resident of Songpa District, Seoul, has been raising a Yorkshire terrier named Aree for 14 years. Because of her old age, Aree has been suffering from cataracts, so Lee has to take her to a vet often.
"Every time I take Aree to the vet to renew her prescription for eye medicine, I have to pay 25,000 won," Lee said. "But one day I learned that the medicine is the same kind that's used for people, and that it costs only 3,000 won to 4,000 won if a person gets a prescription from a doctor, because the medicine is covered by the national health insurance service."
Many pet owners, like Lee, have been complaining about the high costs of veterinary care and treatments. What bothers them more is that different veterinary clinics charge different fees to treat the same diseases, as there are no shared or official standards for veterinary fees.
In this situation, calls for offering state-run health insurance for pets are gaining momentum, with the number of pet owners here reaching nearly 15 million.
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2021/10/119_316485.html
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