Medical costs for elderly patients top 1.7 trillion won in 2007

The treatment costs for patients with illnesses associated with old age surged 192.5 percent from 580 billion won in 2004 to total 1.7 trillion won in 2007, according to the National Health Insurance Corporation.

The number of people suffering from senile dementia escalated to 847,000 last year, up 69.7 percent from 499,000 in 2002,

The average cost of treating dementia patients over 65 w...