Ahn Cheol-soo counters Lee Jae-myung's pledge for hair loss sufferers?..."Hair loss generic drug prices must be lowered"

"I Jae-myung Seems Talented Only at Finding Votes... Fostering Copy Drug and Hair Loss-Related Industries Is the Solution"

Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, is speaking at the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the 3rd. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, argued that alternative measures should be sought as the health insurance finances are currently in serious trouble, after Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he is considering a pledge to apply health insurance coverage to hair loss treatments.

On the afternoon of the 5th, Ahn posted on his Facebook a message titled "We will address the fundamental concerns of those suffering from hair loss by lowering the prices of generic hair loss drugs and supporting research and development of new hair loss drugs," expressing his position.

Ahn said, "Candidate Lee Jae-myung has proposed a pledge to apply health insurance coverage to hair loss medication. While he seems talented at chasing votes, is applying health insurance the only solution when it comes to taking responsibility for national governance? Where will the depleted health insurance funds come from? Ultimately, isn’t the only option a significant increase in health insurance premiums?"

He added, "One in five Koreans experiences hair loss, and as of 2020, about 233,000 people received medical treatment for hair loss symptoms. Hair loss caused by non-genetic factors such as environmental issues and various stresses is also increasing. I believe the state should now actively step up regarding hair loss."

However, Ahn argued that applying health insurance coverage to hair loss treatments is not the answer. He pointed out, "Due to Moon Jae-in Care, health insurance turned to a deficit in 2018. While the health insurance premium increase rate was 1% under the previous administration, it rose nearly threefold to 2.7% under the Moon administration. Despite these premium hikes, according to the National Assembly Budget Office, the cumulative health insurance reserves are expected to be depleted by 2024."

He then proposed two solutions. First, Ahn said, "The price of generic hair loss drugs must be lowered. By reducing the price of generic (same ingredient) hair loss drugs, we will enable prescriptions for affordable generics."

He also explained, "We will greatly expand support for research and development in the health industry related to hair loss. By significantly supporting R&D for affordable and effective new hair loss drugs, the development of new drugs will contribute to industrial advancement and open the way for those suffering from hair loss to purchase treatments at lower prices."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.