From Next Month, Follow-up Visits Required for Telemedicine... Initial Consultations Allowed for COVID-19 and Elderly Patients

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Starting next month, telemedicine will only be available at the same hospital for patients who have visited the hospital at least once in person. However, initial consultations will be allowed for patients with infectious diseases requiring isolation, such as COVID-19 and influenza, residents of remote mountainous areas or islands who have difficulty accessing medical institutions, and elderly patients. After telemedicine consultations, patients must personally visit the pharmacy to collect their prescribed medications.

On the 17th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced the ‘Telemedicine Pilot Project Promotion Plan’ after consultations with the ruling party. Telemedicine is only permitted during the ‘severe’ crisis stage according to the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act, but it will become illegal starting next month as the crisis level is lowered to ‘alert.’ The Ministry plans to continue the telemedicine pilot project within a limited scope until legislation is enacted, given that telemedicine was used by 14.19 million people during the COVID-19 pandemic and has become part of daily life. A ministry official explained, “Previously, temporary telemedicine was available to anyone regardless of initial or follow-up visits, and medications could be delivered to the home, but restrictions are now imposed to minimize side effects.”

The pilot project is based on the principle of follow-up visits centered on primary medical institutions such as clinics. It applies to patients who have had at least one in-person consultation at the medical institution for a specific condition. Patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes can receive telemedicine within one year after an in-person visit, while patients with other conditions can receive telemedicine within 30 days. However, initial consultations are allowed for confirmed cases of legal infectious diseases classified as grades 1 to 4, based on the judgment that a certain isolation period is necessary to prevent the spread of infection. Residents of islands and mountainous areas with insufficient medical infrastructure, as well as elderly people aged 65 or older and persons with disabilities who have difficulty moving, are also eligible for initial consultations. Telemedicine is exceptionally allowed at hospital-level medical institutions only for patients with rare diseases who have had at least one in-person consultation or those who require continuous management after surgery or treatment, as per a physician’s opinion.

The consultation method is primarily video-based. Until now, many telemedicine consultations were conducted via telephone on telemedicine platforms. Going forward, telephone consultations will only be permitted in limited cases, such as elderly patients without smartphones. Telemedicine via text messages or messengers is not allowed. Additionally, telemedicine must be conducted only in consultation rooms within medical institutions licensed and registered under the Medical Service Act. Prescriptions for narcotics and drugs prone to abuse, as regulated by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, are prohibited.

Medications must be collected in person by the patient or their representative at the pharmacy. However, a ministry official stated, “We will consider supplementary measures to allow home delivery for patients with mobility difficulties or those with rare diseases.” Telemedicine platforms cannot automatically assign pharmacies to patients. All pharmacies based on the user’s location will be displayed to guarantee patient choice and prevent concentration at large pharmacies. Medical institutions that provide only telemedicine or pharmacies specializing only in dispensing medications for delivery are prohibited from operating.

Fees are expected to be set higher than those for in-person consultations. Medical institutions and pharmacies will each receive consultation fees and medication costs plus a telemedicine pilot project management fee. The patient’s co-payment rate will be 30%, the statutory co-payment rate for clinics. Cha Jeon-gyeong, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, explained, “In some countries, telemedicine fees are lower than in-person fees, but since medical staff must verify patient identity, write medical records, and submit them later, fees are set higher here,” adding, “The final decision will be made after reporting to the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee.”

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