Key Summary
The National Health Insurance Service posted on its website’s press release list that it will refund excess out-of-pocket medical expenses totaling ₩3.076 trillion to 2.26 million people. Dividing the total by the number of recipients gives a simple average of approximately ₩1.36 million per person. However, this is only a simple average and does not mean that every recipient will receive the same amount.
Semiconductors, high interest rates, and stock market trends were cited as economic variables for September. The Bank of Korea’s base rate is listed at 3.00% as of August 27, 2026, while Shinhan Investment & Securities presented an expected KOSPI range of 6,600–8,000 points for September.
Key Facts to Watch
- Number of people eligible for the out-of-pocket maximum refund: 2.26 million
- Total refund amount: ₩3.076 trillion
- Simple average refund: approximately ₩1.36 million
- Bank of Korea base rate: 3.00% as of August 27, 2026
- Shinhan Investment & Securities’ expected September KOSPI range: 6,600–8,000 points
The average refund is calculated by dividing the total amount by the number of recipients and does not represent each individual’s payment.
One-Line Background
The National Health Insurance Act stipulates that when annual out-of-pocket expenses exceed the out-of-pocket maximum set according to income level, the National Health Insurance Service covers the excess amount.
Upcoming Schedule
In South Korea’s stock market at the beginning of September, semiconductor and interest-rate variables are drawing attention. EToday cited South Korea’s August export figures, Broadcom’s earnings, and SEMICON Taiwan 2026 as market variables for early September.
However, the official source text and release times for the full September 1 economic calendar were not sufficiently confirmed. Rather than stating that specific schedules from the government, the Bank of Korea, Statistics Korea, or the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are finalized, the official schedule should be checked again before publication.
Brokerage forecasts for the KOSPI are analyses and predictions. They should not be interpreted as figures that guarantee actual market results or investment performance.
Source Verification
The National Health Insurance Service website’s press release list and legal information related to Article 44 of the National Health Insurance Act were checked on August 31, 2026, at 23:05:15.
- National Health Insurance Service website: https://www.nhis.or.kr/nhis/index.do
- Legal information related to Article 44 of the National Health Insurance Act: https://www.nhis.or.kr/lm/lmxsrv/law/joHistoryContent.do?DATE_END=20251223&DATE_START=20251223&SEQ=27&SEQ_CONTENTS=6109285
The Bank of Korea’s base-rate trend was checked at the same time.
- Bank of Korea base-rate trend: https://www.bok.or.kr/portal/singl/baseRate/list.do?menuNo=200761
The September stock market outlook and variables were verified based on reports from Newspim, Edaily, and EToday.
- Newspim: https://m.newspim.com/news/view/20260831000913
- Edaily: https://m.edaily.co.kr/news/Read?mediaCodeNo=257&newsId=02099206645552896
- EToday: https://www.etoday.co.kr/news/view/2620033?trc=main_market_lnews