Current Status of Health Insurance in the Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori Infection / 한양의대학술지

ABSTRACT

Since medical insurance has been applied from 1977 in Korea, it finally launched itself as a current nationwide health insurance system. Because medical science is ever changing, various novel methods of diagnosis and treatment are now clinically used after basic and clinical research. Therefore, the health insurance system should be covered by novel or updated methods of evidence-based treatment, if possible. Guidelines for the treatment of H. pylori infection are different according to its prevalence and regional H. pylori associated disease pattern. FDA approved the 2 weeks PPI-based triple therapy for indications of treatment with H. pylori infection, however, only 1 week triple therapy for H. pylori positive peptic ulcer disease is covered by the Korean health insurance system. The insurance coverage should be expanded to provide for good quality of life of patients after endoscopic mucosal resection of early gastric cancer, longtime H. pylori positive NSAID user, and with a family history of gastric cancer from evidence based medicine. In the future, if we get positive results of H. pylori treatment for chronic atrophic gastritis, functional dyspepsia, and prevention of gastric cancer, it can be added as accepted indications of H. pylori therapy.