The Korea Leukemia Patients Organization on Monday urged the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) to “improve the re-registration criteria as soon as possible,” arguing that the current special treatment program requires bone marrow tests and abdominal CT scans, placing significant physical and financial burdens on patients.

According to the organization, an 83-year-old chronic myeloid leukemia patient, identified only by her family name, Hwang, applied for re-registration last December before the expiration of her special coverage. However, she was deemed ineligible. The reason, according to the NHIS, was a new pre-review rule introduced in September, three months earlier, requiring bone marrow and abdominal CT scan results for re-registration. Although Ms. Hwang had been regularly undergoing genetic testing, the NHIS insisted that she undergo an abdominal CT scan and imaging test—despite the exemption for the bone marrow test.

The organization pointed out that the NHIS requires unnecessary tests without clear criteria or evidence.

“As in the case of Ms. Hwang, patients undergo genetic testing every three months, so it is possible to determine whether to re-register without additional tests,” the patient group said. ”At major hospitals, including Asan Medical Center, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, and Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital, re-registration was possible with only a doctor's report and genetic test results.”

The group argued that the additional tests not only increase the burden of medical expenses for patients but also waste health insurance funds.

“As of last year, there were 15,251 chronic myeloid leukemia patients in Korea. If they were to undergo a bone marrow test to re-register for a special calculatioin, it would cost an additional 2.1 billion won ($1.54 million) to 3 billion won every year. Abdominal CT examinations alone cost between 400 million won and 1.3 billion won,” it said.

The NHIS should verify whether additional bone marrow tests and abdominal CT examinations are medically necessary through academic societies and actively improve the system so that genetic tests are sufficient for re-registration without additional tests, the group added.