Korean Medical Bio Journalists Association Holds Symposium on 'Health Insurance Finance Reform Centered on Patients with Severe and Rare Diseases'

As the comprehensive plan for the National Health Insurance for the second half of this year is about to be established and announced, an opportunity will be provided to hear the voices of medical professionals and patients regarding the coverage of severe and rare diseases and the enhancement of access to new drugs.

The Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association announced on the 29th that it will hold a symposium on "Reform Plans for Health Insurance Finance Centered on Patients with Severe and Rare Diseases" at Ferrum Tower in Euljiro, Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 5th of next month.

In the first part of the presentation, chaired by Kim Gil-won, Senior Vice President of the Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association (Medical Specialist Reporter at Yonhap News), there will be a session to directly hear the voices of patient groups and patients with severe and rare diseases, followed by presentations from academia and experts aiming to achieve both enhanced coverage of severe and rare diseases and sustainable health insurance management.

In the second part panel discussion, chaired by Min Tae-won, Vice President of the Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association (Medical Specialist Reporter at Kukmin Ilbo), medical experts, patient groups, pharmaceutical industry representatives, media personnel, and government officials will gather to discuss the enhancement of coverage for severe and rare diseases and reform plans for health insurance finance.

Kim Cheol-jung, President of the Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association (Medical Specialist Reporter at Chosun Ilbo), said, "This will be a forum to discuss from multiple perspectives the economic difficulties faced by patients with severe diseases including cancer and rare diseases, as well as access to new drugs, and to debate alternatives with experts," adding, "Through this forum, I hope that the voices of patients and the public will be actively reflected to create a balanced second comprehensive health insurance plan."

Attendance at the symposium on-site is open to anyone without prior registration. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube.

The Korea Medical Bio Journalists Association is an organization of journalists responsible for the medical (health) and bio fields at domestic daily newspapers, broadcasters, and news agencies, with about 100 reporters from over 40 member companies currently active. The association aims to serve as a channel facilitating smooth communication among the medical community, government, and bio-pharmaceutical sectors, which are key pillars in overcoming diseases, while reporting articles prioritizing public health.

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