Core Viewpoint - The beauty and cosmetic surgery market in China is rapidly expanding, with an estimated market size of nearly 300 billion yuan in 2024 [1]. Regulatory Developments - The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has issued a guideline to standardize pricing for commonly used cosmetic surgery services, addressing the prevalent issue of price discrepancies in the booming market [2][4]. - The guideline does not alter the market-based pricing management but aims to unify project names and standardize pricing behaviors among medical institutions [4]. Pricing Structure - Medical institutions can set their own prices for cosmetic surgery services, leading to significant price variations. The new guideline categorizes established procedures under unified names and standardizes abstract pricing projects [4][6]. - The guideline allows for the inclusion of popular treatments under specific categories, such as "ultrasound treatment" and "radiofrequency treatment," to enhance clarity in pricing [6]. Customization and Innovation - The guideline reflects the diverse and personalized needs of patients, allowing for detailed categorization of common procedures, such as lip enhancement [8]. - Medical institutions are permitted to establish additional charges for new technologies and equipment, subject to local healthcare department approval [8]. New Pricing Projects - The guideline introduces new pricing projects for "reduction of scarring through cosmetic suturing" and "surgical incision beautification," encouraging medical professionals to minimize scarring from the outset [9][11]. - A new charge for "revision surgery" has been established, recognizing the increased complexity and difficulty of follow-up procedures compared to initial surgeries [12][14].

Core Viewpoint - The National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) has issued guidelines for the pricing of cosmetic surgery services, aiming to standardize and regulate the pricing structure in the cosmetic surgery market, promoting a more transparent and orderly environment for high-quality industry development [1][2]. Group 1: Standardization of Pricing - The guidelines do not change the market-adjusted pricing management for cosmetic surgery but focus on standardizing price items and regulating pricing behavior of medical institutions [2]. - The NHSA has unified naming conventions for commonly performed cosmetic procedures, such as "filling injections," which now includes various materials like hyaluronic acid and newer substances like polylactic acid and hydroxyapatite [2]. - Abstract pricing items like "facial sculpting" and "Korean rejuvenation" have been standardized into specific categories based on their technical principles, such as mapping "photorejuvenation" to skin beauty treatment using light/laser [2]. Group 2: Detailed Pricing Structure - The guidelines specify detailed pricing for well-known procedures like hair transplants, categorizing them by body parts (e.g., hair, eyelashes) and adopting a "starting plus quantity" pricing model, similar to a taxi fare system [2]. - Medical institutions are allowed to set additional charges and expansion items, subject to local healthcare department approval [3]. Group 3: New Pricing Projects - New pricing projects have been introduced for techniques that minimize scarring, such as "reduction beauty suturing" and "incision beauty modification," encouraging medical institutions to offer these services based on patient consent [4]. - The guidelines include additional charges for repeat surgeries, reflecting the increased technical value and labor involved in procedures like rhinoplasty and eyelid surgery [5]. Group 4: Future Implementation - The NHSA aims to guide local authorities in implementing these guidelines, encouraging public medical institutions to set fair and reasonable prices while promoting transparency by publicly disclosing pricing [5].