Hospitals to receive 709 billion at 10 percent lower drug prices

The government has been seeking to reduce overall drug prices by 20 percent to help the national health insurance system and its subscribers cut down their financial burdens.

In 2008, the system paid 10.3 trillion won for the drug coverage, or 29 percent of total medical fees estimated at 35 trillion won.

The Health Insurance Review Assessment and Service said in a report that hospitals o...