Difficulties obtaining private insurance reported by persons with epilepsy in Korea.

Purpose: This study determined the proportion of persons with epilepsy (PWE) that possessed insurance policies and the difficulties they experienced in trying to obtain insurance in South Korea.

Methods: Persons with epilepsy and healthy control subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire in which they were asked if they had experienced problems obtaining four types of insurance, including life, medical indemnity, critical illness, and motor insurance. Insurance policies obtained before diagnosis of epilepsy were excluded in the analysis.

Results: This study included 106 adults with epilepsy and 87 healthy control subjects. The proportion of patients covered by at least one insurance type was significantly lower (54.7%) than that of controls (90.8%; p < 0.001). The proportions of patients insured did not differ according to freedom from seizures. Of 86 patients who tried to obtain insurance, 66% thought that it was much more difficult for them to obtain insurance than for those without epilepsy, and 48% had been refused one or more types of insurance because of their epilepsy. Difficulties in obtaining insurance differed depending on the types of insurance. Medical information about epilepsy was requested from 13% of patients. Of the insured patients, 71% did not disclose their epilepsy; 32% of these patients said it was because they were worried the insurance company would refuse to insure them.

Conclusions: Persons with epilepsy reported that obtaining private insurance was very difficult for them in South Korea. The findings suggest that PWE per se are excluded from private insurance in South Korea and emphasize the need for an evidence-based individual risk assessment for PWE.