Promoting the Strengthening of Home Treatment... Expanding to 50 Short-term and Outpatient Clinics

Expansion of Antibody Treatment Prescription for Regdanvimab
National Health Checkup Period Extended Until June Next Year

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The government is pushing to strengthen the COVID-19 home treatment system. It plans to expand the number of medical institutions providing face-to-face care for home treatment patients by adding 21 more facilities and is also discussing further installations.

According to the COVID-19 home treatment enhancement plan announced by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) on the 15th, there are currently 21 short-term and outpatient treatment centers with completed installation agreements and scheduled to operate, while 29 institutions are still in negotiation for installation.

The currently operating short-term and outpatient treatment centers include Seoul Seobuk Hospital, Gangnam Bedro Hospital, Huimyung Hospital (Gyeonggi), Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Centers (Suwon, Uijeongbu, Icheon, Anseong, Paju), Bakae Hospital, Busan Medical Center, Jecheon Seoul Hospital, Jungang Jeil Hospital, and Jinan County Medical Center. With the addition of 21 more centers, the total number of short-term and outpatient treatment centers will increase to 34.

The government also plans to expand the institutions prescribing the domestically produced antibody treatment 'Rekkironaju' to minimize the occurrence of severe and critical patients. Currently, antibody treatments are administered only in inpatient treatment institutions, but the plan is to extend this to living treatment centers, nursing hospitals, general hospitals, short-term and outpatient treatment centers, and elderly care facilities. However, even now, medical staff can prescribe antibody treatments at short-term and outpatient treatment centers and nursing facilities based on their judgment.

Furthermore, the government announced that it will temporarily extend the national health screening period until June next year to accommodate medical institutions' examination conditions following additional COVID-19 vaccinations and to ensure citizens' opportunities for health checkups. The extension applies to this year's general health screenings and cancer screenings, including screenings by gender and age.

Office workers and others who are subject to biennial screenings but cannot undergo health checkups this year will be able to receive screenings during the extended period until June next year. In such cases, they must apply for additional registration as health screening subjects at the National Health Insurance Service branch or their workplace after January 3, 2022, and their next screening will be in 2023.

For non-office workers who are subject to annual screenings, if they cannot receive health checkups this year, they can undergo screenings during the extension period until June 2022 and have their next screening in 2023. However, if the worker wishes, they can additionally receive the missed 2021 screening in the second half of 2022.

The deadline for general health examinations that employers must periodically conduct for workers under the Industrial Safety and Health Act will also be extended. According to the Industrial Safety and Health Act, employers must conduct general health examinations at least once every two years for office workers and at least once a year for non-office workers to manage the health of regularly employed workers. Failure to comply may result in fines of up to 10 million KRW.

This measure considers that most general health examinations under the Industrial Safety and Health Act are recognized as being replaced by general health screenings under the National Health Insurance Act. The government plans not to impose fines if general health examinations scheduled for this year are conducted by June next year, treating them as having been conducted for both 2021 and 2022.

However, for non-office workers who require annual general health examinations, if the worker wishes, the employer will be required to conduct additional examinations in the second half of 2022, which can also be carried out through health screenings conducted by the National Health Insurance Service.

The government also recommends that essential workers with underlying conditions, those with high labor intensity or fatigue due to COVID-19, and those subject to short screening intervals such as liver cancer and colorectal cancer screening candidates receive their screenings within the year despite the extension of the national health screening period.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.