Geum Moon-ju, Chief Sponsor of the 'Public Health and Medical Services Act Amendment'

"Providing Universal Healthcare Benefits to All Citizens"

Assemblyman Moon Geum-ju.

Moon Geum-ju, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Jeonnam Goheung·Boseong·Jangheung·Gangjin), announced on the 2nd that she has taken the lead in proposing the "Amendment to the Public Health and Medical Services Act" to promote the rapid establishment of public medical institutions.

Korea's medical expenses as a percentage of GDP stand at 9.7%, higher than the OECD average of 9.3%. In particular, with the increasing demand for medical services due to aging and other factors, the ratio of medical expenses to GDP is expected to rise further.

However, as of 2022, public medical institutions account for only 5.2% of all medical institutions. Moreover, this proportion has been decreasing annually, leading to calls for expanded government support for public healthcare.

Additionally, most medical resources are concentrated in large cities, exacerbating regional disparities in healthcare. As a result, non-metropolitan areas receive lower quality medical services compared to the metropolitan area.

The amendment aims to address these issues by allowing the Minister of Strategy and Finance to exempt preliminary feasibility studies when it is recognized that the establishment of public health and medical institutions needs to be expedited. If enacted, the bill is expected to facilitate a faster and smoother establishment of public medical institutions.

Rep. Moon emphasized, "I will do my best to rapidly expand public health and medical institutions so that all citizens can receive universal medical benefits regardless of region or social class."

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