Medical Community Opposes Review of Medical Technicians Act Amendment: "Fatal to Patient Safety"

Korea Medical Association and Korean Dental Association: "National Assembly's Legislative Overreach... Withdraw the Bill Immediately"

"Excluding Physician Supervision Will Collapse Healthcare... Lawmakers Will Be Held Politically Accountable"

The medical community is strongly objecting to the amendment of the Medical Technicians Act, which would allow physical therapists and occupational therapists to visit the homes of patients with limited mobility and provide rehabilitation services.

On the 19th, in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Kim Taekwoo, President of the Korean Medical Association, and Lee Jungwoo, Acting President of the Korean Dental Association, are speaking at the "National Doctors and Dentists Representatives Rally to Defend against the Amendment of the Medical Technicians Act." Korean Medical Association

On May 19, members of the Korea Medical Association and the Korean Dental Association held the “National Doctors and Dentists Representatives Rally to Firmly Oppose the Amendment of the Medical Technicians Act” in front of the National Assembly, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the amendment currently under review by the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee’s Subcommittee on Bill Review.

The two organizations expressed serious concerns, stating, “The National Assembly, which should prioritize patients’ lives and safety, is pushing ahead with hasty legislation unilaterally, disregarding warnings from professional organizations,” and “The Korean healthcare system now stands at the brink of collapse.”

They characterized the National Assembly’s current actions as a “sudden subcommittee meeting” forced by pressure from medical technician organizations. They pointed out that, according to the government roadmap, the introduction of home rehabilitation is scheduled for 2028–2029, so there is no reason to rush the legal amendment now. The Korea Medical Association and the Korean Dental Association said, “The medical community has already proposed reasonable alternatives based on information and communications technology that would expand the spatial scope of ‘supervision,’ yet the National Assembly is ignoring this,” and demanded an immediate halt to the unilateral subcommittee discussions.

The current Medical Technicians Act defines medical technicians—such as clinical laboratory technologists, radiologic technologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists—as “individuals engaged in medical practice or biochemical testing under the supervision of a physician or dentist.” The amendment expands the scope, allowing medical technicians to perform their work based on a physician’s prescription or referral, not only under direct supervision. This means that, with a physician’s prescription, rehabilitation and other services could be provided outside medical institutions. The medical community sees this as a dangerous attempt that disregards the principles of the licensing system.

Lee Jungwoo, Acting President of the Korean Dental Association, warned, “If direct supervision and oversight by physicians and dentists are excluded, medical technicians may perform work arbitrarily, making it impossible to respond appropriately to changes in a patient’s condition during treatment. This will ultimately cause serious health problems for patients.” He also criticized the amendment as a ploy to enable independent medical practice and even the independent opening of clinics by medical technicians in the future, warning that it would lead to the collapse of the national licensing order.

The issue of unclear responsibility in the event of an accident was also raised. There are concerns that, if medical technicians perform tasks independently outside medical institutions without physician involvement and an accident occurs, it could result in legal disputes and administrative or financial waste.

Kim Taekwoo, President of the Korea Medical Association, stated, “An amendment that dismantles the structure of responsibility will ultimately bring about the collapse of the healthcare system,” and added, “We will continue to hold lawmakers politically accountable if they push ahead with the bill while ignoring expert warnings.” He further emphasized, “We have so far cooperated as professionals to ensure public convenience and the stable establishment of a local care system, but this legislation, which undermines the foundation of the licensing system, cannot be accepted. If the National Assembly forces the bill through, we will mobilize all available means for a full-scale response to defend the order of the healthcare system.”

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