First Expert Advisory Meeting on Insurance Coverage for Care Services at Medical-Centered Long-Term Care Hospitals

Discussion on Selection Criteria for Long-Term Care Hospitals with Advanced Medical Capabilities

On November 14, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held a meeting of an expert advisory panel at the International Electronics Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to discuss the implementation of insurance coverage for care services at medical-centered long-term care hospitals.

This advisory panel meeting was organized as a follow-up to the public hearing held in September, aiming to gather expert opinions during the system design stage ahead of the planned implementation of care service insurance coverage in the second half of next year.

The expert advisory panel consists of representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the National Health Insurance Service, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, healthcare professionals, the medical community, and groups representing subscribers and patients. The panel was formed to professionally discuss key issues related to care service insurance coverage and to sufficiently incorporate the opinions of relevant organizations.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to hold regular expert advisory panel meetings at least once a month until the second half of next year, alongside on-site meetings, in order to thoroughly examine considerations and potential issues related to care service insurance coverage and to fully gather feedback from the field.

This meeting focused on discussing the selection criteria for medical-centered long-term care hospitals and measures to ensure accessibility to such hospitals outside the greater Seoul area.

The selection criteria discussed included the proportion of patients requiring advanced medical care, the number of wards, beds, and rooms, the employment status of care staff, and staffing standards for care personnel. The panel also discussed the possibility of granting provisional designation as a medical-centered long-term care hospital if no hospital in a city or province meets the selection criteria, on the condition that the criteria are met in the future.

Lee Jungkyu, Director of the National Health Insurance Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stated, "To ensure the stable implementation of care service insurance coverage, we will thoroughly listen to expert advice and field opinions, and maintain close communication with the medical community and related organizations to develop a comprehensive and rational plan for moving forward."

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