Korea Powered Wheelchair and Medical Scooter Benefit and Lifecycle Cost Calculator

Estimate the 2026 Korean NHIS device benefit, initial patient cost, battery reimbursement, and up to six years of charging, tire, inspection, repair, and insurance cost for two registered-product options.

Benefit and analysis settings

Select only the reimbursement rate confirmed in the prior-approval notice or by NHIS.

Option A

Powered wheelchair, Group A

KRW 2,360,000

Device quote and benefit

Battery and running costs

Option B

Medical mobility scooter

KRW 1,920,000

Device quote and benefit

Battery and running costs

Two-option cost comparison

The two options have the same rounded present-value cost with these inputs.

This is not a product recommendation and does not assess medical fit, posture support, control safety, operating conditions, or after-sales service.

Present-value differenceKRW 0

Option A

A · Powered wheelchair, Group A

Device benefit and initial cost

Benefit base
KRW 0
Estimated NHIS benefit
KRW 0
Patient share within base
KRW 0
Amount above benefit base
KRW 0
Estimated initial patient cost
KRW 0
Possible purchase-day cash
KRW 0

Lifecycle summary

Nominal lifecycle cost
KRW 0
Present-value lifecycle cost
KRW 0
Average monthly patient cost
KRW 0
Equivalent annual patient cost
KRW 0
Total estimated NHIS benefit
KRW 0
Annual operating reserve
KRW 0
Benefit per battery set: KRW 0 · Patient cost per battery set: KRW 0

Option B

B · Medical mobility scooter

Device benefit and initial cost

Benefit base
KRW 0
Estimated NHIS benefit
KRW 0
Patient share within base
KRW 0
Amount above benefit base
KRW 0
Estimated initial patient cost
KRW 0
Possible purchase-day cash
KRW 0

Lifecycle summary

Nominal lifecycle cost
KRW 0
Present-value lifecycle cost
KRW 0
Average monthly patient cost
KRW 0
Equivalent annual patient cost
KRW 0
Total estimated NHIS benefit
KRW 0
Annual operating reserve
KRW 0
Benefit per battery set: KRW 0 · Patient cost per battery set: KRW 0

Cost-category comparison

Cost-category comparison
Cost categoryOption A · Nominal patient costOption A · Present-value patient costOption B · Nominal patient costOption B · Present-value patient cost
Main deviceKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
Non-covered initial extrasKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
Two-battery setKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
TiresKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
Charging electricityKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
InspectionKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
Repair reserveKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0
InsuranceKRW 0KRW 0KRW 0KRW 0

Option A · Replacement timeline

No battery or tire replacement is scheduled within the analysis period.

Option B · Replacement timeline

No battery or tire replacement is scheduled within the analysis period.

Inputs to confirm

Option A

  • The purchase quote is zero. Enter a same-scope quote from a registered seller.
  • The registered product decision price is zero. Check the current NHIS product list and notice.

Option B

  • The purchase quote is zero. Enter a same-scope quote from a registered seller.
  • The registered product decision price is zero. Check the current NHIS product list and notice.

What to confirm next

  1. Confirm the device group and test documents with the prescribing specialist.
  2. Obtain the NHIS prior-approval notice before purchase.
  3. Verify the registered product code, decision price, and registered seller status.
  4. Check the receipt, delegated direct-claim choice, and battery payment history.

Rules checked: 2026-08-22 · KRW 190,000 / 18 months

Related calculators

Start with three different amounts, not one headline price

South Korea National Health Insurance does not calculate the powered-wheelchair or medical-scooter benefit by multiplying the seller price by 90 percent.
It first takes the lowest of the statutory reference amount, the product-specific decision price in the current Ministry of Health and Welfare notice, and the actual purchase price.
The confirmed 90 or 100 percent benefit rate is then applied to that lowest amount.

This distinction matters whenever a product costs more than its benefit base or has a decision price below the category reference amount.
The calculator therefore keeps all three amounts separate, shows the part within the benefit base and the part above it, and then adds batteries, tires, inspection, repair reserve, insurance, and charging electricity over as many as 72 months.

Prior approval comes before purchase

Article 26(3) of the Enforcement Rule of the National Health Insurance Act requires an applicant for a powered wheelchair or medical scooter to submit a prescription and the relevant test documents for NHIS prior approval.
A favorable estimate on this page is not an approval, an eligibility decision, or a promise that a particular product will be reimbursed.

Current 2026 reference amounts and useful lives

Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2026-56, effective March 25, 2026, separates powered wheelchairs into Groups A, B, and C.
Each powered-mobility device has a six-year useful life for benefit purposes, while one two-battery set has a KRW 190,000 reference amount and an 18-month useful life.

2026 Korean powered-wheelchair, medical-scooter, and battery benefit amounts and useful lives
Benefit categoryReference amountUseful lifeHow this calculator uses it
Powered wheelchair, Group AKRW 2,360,0006 yearsLowest-amount benefit formula
Powered wheelchair, Group BKRW 3,800,0006 yearsLowest-amount benefit formula
Powered wheelchair, Group CKRW 3,800,0006 yearsSeparate category added in 2026
Medical mobility scooterKRW 1,920,0006 yearsLowest-amount benefit formula
Two-battery setKRW 190,00018 monthsPotential events at months 18, 36, and 54

A useful life is not an automatic replacement appointment.
The general rule allows one benefit per person during the useful-life period, while an early replacement for damage, wear, growth, body change, or another unavoidable reason still requires medical and NHIS review.
The analysis stops at 72 months so that it never assumes approval for the next device.

How the device benefit and initial patient cost are calculated

1. Benefit base

The benefit base is the lowest of the category reference amount, the registered product decision price, and the actual purchase price.
A zero decision price or purchase price produces a zero estimate rather than silently treating the unknown value as the reference amount.

2. Estimated NHIS benefit

The standard benefit is 90 percent of the benefit base.
A person whom NHIS confirms under Enforcement Decree Appendix 2 item 3(d) receives 100 percent of the benefit base, but not an amount above that base.

3. Estimated initial patient cost

The calculator subtracts the estimated NHIS benefit from the actual purchase price and adds separately confirmed non-covered initial extras.
It reports the patient share within the benefit base and the amount above the base as separate lines.

4. Possible purchase-day cash

A registered seller may claim the benefit directly when the beneficiary delegates the claim, but a reimbursement-after-purchase path can require the gross price first.
The page therefore shows both the estimated final patient cost and a conservative gross purchase-day cash amount.

Use confirmed documents for every input

  • Device group should come from the prescribing specialist and the NHIS prior-approval process.
    Groups A, B, and C are clinical and functional benefit categories, not a simple good-better-best price ladder.
  • Product decision price should match the model code in the current registered-product notice or NHIS product lookup.
  • Actual purchase price should come from a written, same-scope quote issued by a registered assistive-device seller.
    Identify whether accessories, delivery, training, service, or insurance sit inside or outside the quoted device price.
  • Battery benefit confirmation should reflect the original device purchase date, prior battery payments, continued use, and current NHIS guidance.
    The calculator cannot query that history.
  • Tires, inspection, repairs, insurance, and charging are product- and household-specific inputs.
    Use seller or service quotes, the insurance contract, and recent electricity information rather than a national average.

Step-by-step workflow

  1. Select the confirmed benefit category
    Use standard 90 percent, NHIS-confirmed 100 percent, or no confirmed benefit at 0 percent.
  2. Set one analysis period and discount rate
    The 72-month default matches the current six-year useful life, while a shorter expected use can be entered in months.
  3. Enter the group, decision price, and actual quote for Options A and B
    The options may be two registered models in one group or two medically permitted device categories.
  4. Use the same cost boundary for both options
    If one quote includes an insurance plan or maintenance contract, identify and add the comparable item for the other option.
  5. Read initial cash, lifecycle cost, and replacement timing together
    A lower present-value cost never overrides medical fit, safe control, posture support, environment, or service quality.

Worked examples from the official claim form

Group A powered wheelchair

With a KRW 2,360,000 reference amount, KRW 2,500,000 decision price, and KRW 2,000,000 actual purchase price, the lowest amount is KRW 2,000,000.
The standard 90 percent benefit is KRW 1,800,000 and the product patient cost is KRW 200,000.
These figures reproduce the example printed in the current claim-form instructions.

Medical mobility scooter

With a KRW 1,920,000 reference amount and both the decision and purchase prices at KRW 2,000,000, the benefit base is KRW 1,920,000.
The standard benefit is KRW 1,728,000, leaving KRW 192,000 within the base plus KRW 80,000 above the base, or KRW 272,000 in product patient cost.
Even a confirmed 100 percent category leaves the KRW 80,000 amount above the base as patient cost.

How six-year lifecycle cost is built

For a 72-month analysis, battery events occur at months 18, 36, and 54.
A month-72 replacement would support use beyond the selected horizon, so it is not included.
When battery benefit is confirmed, each event uses the lower of KRW 190,000 and the actual two-battery set price and then applies the selected benefit rate.
Without confirmation, the full battery price remains patient cost.

Tires use the same strict less-than-horizon timing rule but receive no automatic statutory benefit.
Charging is added monthly, while annual inspection, repair reserve, and insurance are divided into equal monthly planning reserves.
Each future patient cash flow is discounted by the annual rate raised to the month divided by twelve, producing present-value lifecycle cost and an equivalent annual patient cost.

Costs that are easy to miss

  • A two-battery replacement after the warranty period, including collection or disposal terms.
  • Tires, tubes, chargers, controls, seating parts, cushions, and model-specific repair exclusions.
  • Call-out service, transport, a temporary replacement device, insurance deductibles, and excluded events.
  • Battery wear and charging changes caused by slopes, cold weather, load, or long daily travel.

Interpret the comparison as a budget, not a clinical ranking

Before prior approval

Start with the 0 percent setting to see gross cash exposure, then recalculate only after the approval notice confirms a rate.
The difference is a budget range, not an approval forecast.

Two registered models

Use the same quote scope and service assumptions.
A lower initial price may lose its advantage if batteries, repairs, tires, or excluded service are materially higher.

Wheelchair versus scooter

Compare household cost only after clinicians and NHIS allow both candidates.
Upper-limb function, posture, control ability, turning space, slopes, and transfer safety remain outside the formula.

Korea-specific scope and safety limits

  • The calculator does not determine disability registration, insurance status, detailed clinical eligibility, specialist authority, test results, prior approval, or final payment.
  • It does not recommend a device, seller, or product and does not decide medical suitability.
  • Group A, B, or C powered wheelchairs and medical scooters have different target criteria and functions, not merely different reference prices.
  • Product registrations and decision prices can change through exclusions, new registrations, and price adjustments.
    Recheck the exact product code immediately before purchase.
  • The 18-month battery period is a benefit useful-life rule, not a battery-life warranty.
    Payment history and continued use remain NHIS decisions.
  • Never choose a device solely because this page reports a lower cost.
    Medical fit, safe operation, posture, home and outdoor environment, and service support take priority.

Frequently asked questions

Does NHIS always pay 90 percent of the reference amount?

No.
The standard calculation uses 90 percent of the lowest of the reference amount, product decision price, and actual purchase price.
Prior approval, product and seller registration, documents, and payment restrictions must also be satisfied.

Does a confirmed 100 percent category make any product free?

No.
One hundred percent applies only to the benefit base.
Any amount above that base and separately non-covered extras remain patient costs.

Can this calculator choose between a wheelchair and a scooter?

No.
The devices have different detailed eligibility and functional requirements.
Use the cost comparison only among candidates permitted by the prescribing specialist and NHIS.

Is a battery automatically reimbursed every 18 months?

No.
Continued device use, the original purchase date, prior payment history, and current status must be confirmed with NHIS.
The calculator only schedules an estimate after you mark battery benefit as confirmed.

Does the same benefit repeat after month 72?

No such assumption is made.
A new prescription, approval, reference amount, product price, and personal condition may apply, so this tool stops within the first device useful life.

Must the beneficiary pay the full product price first?

A registered seller may make a delegated direct claim when the legal conditions and beneficiary authorization are met.
Confirm the payment route with NHIS and the seller, and treat the gross cash figure as a conservative preparation amount.

Official sources and update boundary

The current-history status and effective dates were checked through the Korean National Law Information OPEN API on August 22, 2026.
Article 51 of the National Health Insurance Act establishes the assistive-device benefit, and Article 26(3) of its Enforcement Rule requires prior approval for powered wheelchairs and medical scooters.
Ministry of Health and Welfare Notice No. 2026-56 supplies the benefit categories, reference amounts, and useful lives, while Notice No. 2026-57 lists registered products and their decision prices.
Product registrations and decision prices are deliberately user-entered because the product notice can change between calculator updates.

Recalculate with the approval notice and real registered-product quotes

Gather the prescription, prior-approval notice, registered product code, decision price, and seller quote, then compare initial cost and up to six years of household expense.

Make the final choice only after clinical fit, NHIS benefit confirmation, a real product trial, safety review, and service terms are considered together.