Government to Support Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums for Essential Medical Personnel

Ministry of Health and Welfare to Accept Insurance Company Applications Until November 11
1.5 Million Won Support for Obstetricians and Other Specialists Enrolling in High-Coverage Liability Insurance
Residents in Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetr

The government will subsidize 50% to 75% of the medical malpractice insurance premiums for doctors working in essential medical fields such as obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics, to help reduce the compensation burden arising from medical accidents.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on the 27th that it will publicly invite insurance companies to participate in the "Support Program for Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums for Essential Medical Personnel" until November 11, in order to fully implement the initiative.

The Support Program for Medical Malpractice Insurance Premiums for Essential Medical Personnel was established to encourage medical institutions to purchase insurance that covers liability for damages caused by negligence during medical procedures in essential medical fields. The state will subsidize part of the insurance premiums, thereby promoting wider adoption of malpractice insurance and establishing a safety net for medical accidents. The total budget allocated for this year is 5.025 billion won.

This initiative is also a key part of the national policy task of "Strengthening State Responsibility for Medical Accidents in Essential Medical Fields." By providing government support, the aim is to increase the malpractice insurance enrollment rate among medical institutions, expand coverage, alleviate the compensation burden on medical personnel resulting from medical accidents, and support the recovery of patients who have suffered harm.

The high compensation burden in the event of a medical accident is a significant concern for both patients and medical personnel, exacerbating the avoidance of essential medical fields. Currently, private insurers and the Korean Medical Association Medical Liability Mutual Aid Cooperative operate malpractice insurance, but the enrollment rate is low and the coverage limits are insufficient, causing difficulties for both medical personnel and patients during the compensation process.

In response, the government plans to ease the compensation burden from medical accidents by supporting malpractice insurance premiums for essential medical personnel.

The primary beneficiaries of this premium support are obstetricians and gynecologists with delivery records, as well as pediatric surgeons, pediatric thoracic surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, and pediatric neurosurgeons at hospital-level institutions. Since medical procedures related to obstetrics and pediatric surgery carry a high risk of large compensation in the event of an accident, the plan is to design insurance policies in which the medical institution covers compensation up to 300 million won, and the insurance covers compensation exceeding 300 million won up to approximately 1 billion won. The government will subsidize 75% of the premium for this insurance (about 1.5 million won per specialist, per year).

For residents in training, those in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, and neurology are eligible. The plan is to design insurance policies where the training hospital covers compensation up to 50 million won, and the insurance covers the amount exceeding 50 million won up to 250 million won. The state will subsidize 50% of the premium (about 250,000 won per resident, per year).

Additionally, training hospitals employing essential medical residents can receive a refund of the same amount (about 250,000 won per resident, per year) for existing malpractice insurance policies (with a coverage limit of at least 300 million won and an effective date between December 2024 and November 2025) that the hospital has already purchased.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare will select insurance companies to design and operate the insurance products through a public application process and will support medical institutions in enrolling in these products. Insurance companies wishing to participate in the program must submit applications and supporting documents to the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency by November 11. Detailed information regarding eligibility requirements, support details, application documents, and procedures can be found on the websites of the Korea Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency and the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Ministry will evaluate the feasibility of the business plans submitted by insurance companies, their ability to implement the program, as well as insurance premiums, deductibles, and payment and review plans through a selection committee, and will select the insurers accordingly. In addition, the Ministry will coordinate with relevant organizations and encourage medical institutions to enroll in the insurance so that the insurance contracts can take effect starting in December 2024.

Kim Kukil, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "At this critical time, building a safety net for the recovery of victims is more important than ever to overcome the legal risks of medical accidents in essential medical fields," adding, "Beginning with this support for malpractice insurance premiums for essential medical personnel, we will establish a compensation system specialized for medical accidents and develop it into a system that benefits both patients and medical professionals."

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