Expansion of National Compensation for Force Majeure Obstetric Medical Accidents... Now Includes "Severe Disabilities in Mothers"

Legislative Notice of Amendments to Subordinate Regulations of the Medical Dispute Mediation Act to Be Issued on April 28

The scope of compensation for force majeure obstetric medical accidents will be expanded from the current coverage of neonatal cerebral palsy and deaths of mothers and newborns to include "severe disabilities in mothers."

Ministry of Health and Welfare Sejong Government Complex. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on April 27, 2026, that it will issue a legislative notice for partial amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the "Act on Remedies for Medical Malpractice and Mediation of Medical Disputes" and the "Notice on Payment of Compensation for Force Majeure Medical Accidents" from April 28 to June 8.

This measure is intended to expand the scope of the system under which the government compensates for medical accidents that occur inevitably during childbirth, even when medical staff have fulfilled their duty of care.

According to the amendment, "severe disability in mothers" refers to cases where a mother who is at least 20 weeks pregnant develops a severe disability inevitably due to abnormal signs related to childbirth during or after delivery, as determined and resolved by the Compensation Review Committee. The compensation limit is set at 150 million won.

Currently, the force majeure medical accident compensation system covers neonatal cerebral palsy and deaths of mothers and newborns. Since December 2023, the government has been covering 100% of the compensation funding.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to finalize the amendment after gathering public opinions during the legislative notice period. Relevant opinions can be submitted to the Medical Institution Policy Division of the Ministry of Health and Welfare or the National Participation Legislation Center by June 8.

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