Yoon: "Over 10 Trillion Won to Be Invested in Essential Medical Care Using Health Insurance Reserves" (Update)

Creating Quality Education and Training Environments
Reducing Judicial Risks of Medical Accidents
Promises to Rebuild Regional Healthcare
Yoon: "Retreating from Reform Due to Resistance Is Abandoning the Role of the State"

President Yoon Suk-yeol announced on the 1st that "we will invest more than 10 trillion won in essential medical services using the health insurance reserve funds." This means that he intends to provide definite compensation to prevent the collapse of essential medical fields such as surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and emergency medicine.

At the 8th Public Livelihood Forum held at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, President Yoon stated, "We will introduce a fair compensation system for medical personnel."

He emphasized, "Medical staff who provide high-risk care and those who must be on standby at all times in essential medical fields should receive fair compensation commensurate with their efforts."

President Yoon also stressed, "We will thoroughly reform the non-reimbursable and indemnity insurance systems that encourage medical overuse, disrupt the market, and threaten the sustainability of health insurance."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also mentioned a package of four major policies, including support for essential medical services. This includes creating a quality medical education and training environment to expand the medical workforce and reducing the judicial risks related to medical accidents.

President Yoon explained, "The elderly population is rapidly increasing, and the demand for the health industry is also growing significantly. Expanding the medical workforce is essential to revitalize regional and essential medical services."

Regarding the judicial risks faced by medical personnel, he said, "There are many complaints and accusations against medical staff, but cases where doctors are found to have acted intentionally or with gross negligence are very rare. Doctors suffer difficulties from police investigations, while victims often do not receive proper compensation. This contradictory situation keeps repeating," promising, "We will completely reform the system so that doctors can provide care with confidence and victims receive substantial compensation."

To rebuild regional medical services, he mentioned plans to promote ▲expansion of regional talent recruitment ▲regional policy fees ▲and establishment of regional networks.

Among the four major policy packages, President Yoon conveyed his plan to swiftly resolve tasks requiring urgent action with a sense of speed, while establishing a presidential special committee to carefully develop measures for tasks needing deliberation and discussion.

He also targeted some medical organizations opposing the expansion of doctor quotas, stating, "Now is the golden time to push forward medical reform. If medical reform desired by the majority of the public is set back due to opposition or resistance from a few, it would be tantamount to abandoning the fundamental role of the nation."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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