[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The government is considering expanding the advance payment amount of health insurance nursing care benefits from the current one month to two months to help medical institutions facing management difficulties due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).
Kim Kang-rip, the 1st General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), stated at the COVID-19 Medical Cooperation Council held at Conference House Dalgaebi in Jung-gu, Seoul, “We will support smooth funding for medical institutions experiencing difficulties in their management situation.”
Coordinator Kim said, “The difficulties the medical community is facing recently due to the decrease in patients is a serious issue,” adding, “If this leads to a short-term reduction in employment, it is not just a matter of employment stabilization but a question of whether the country can be safely protected from the COVID crisis in case of additional infection outbreaks.”
He explained, “We are reviewing measures such as extending the existing advance payment of health insurance nursing care benefits by one more month to ensure smooth funding for medical institutions,” and “The government plans to expand the estimated health insurance amount paid at the beginning of the month to cover two months.”
Jung Young-jin, President of the Korean Hospital Association, said, “Many medical institutions are facing management difficulties due to huge losses,” and “There is a strong voice that hospital operations will be difficult unless restructuring is done soon.” He added, “While thoroughly implementing quarantine measures, there is also great concern about how to treat critically ill patients other than COVID-19,” and “We will solve these issues one by one through consultations with the government.”
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