Chairman Choi Dae-jip Completes Signing of Agreement on Medical and Political Consultative Body Formation Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Donghoon Jeong] The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Medical Association have decided to form a separate consultative body, not the medical-government consultative body, to verify the 'Herbal Medicine Coverage Pilot Project.'
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Medical Association announced on the 28th that they made this decision during the 3rd working-level meeting for operating the medical-government consultative body held on the 27th.
The 3rd working-level meeting was a meeting between the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Medical Association to establish the medical-government consultative body. The Medical Association opposed the government's four major health policies, including expanding medical school quotas, establishing public medical schools, herbal medicine coverage, and promoting telemedicine. They went on a collective strike in August but agreed on September 4th to form the medical-government consultative body with the government and ruling party to re-discuss related policies and then stopped collective actions.
In this consultation, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Medical Association agreed to form a consultative body including medical doctors, Korean medicine doctors, pharmacists, and policymakers to verify the herbal medicine coverage pilot project among the four major health policies. The government has been implementing a pilot project applying health insurance to some herbal medicines from the 20th to reduce the burden on patients receiving treatment from Korean medicine doctors. However, the Medical Association is urging the suspension of the project, claiming that the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines have not been verified.
The Korean medicine clinics participating in the pilot project account for about 60% of the total, approximately 9,000 nationwide, and the diseases covered by health insurance are limited to three: facial nerve palsy, sequelae of cerebrovascular disease (aged 65 and over), and menstrual pain.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Medical Association agreed to proceed with discussions on the expansion of medical school quotas, establishment of public medical schools, and promotion of telemedicine as planned within the medical-government consultative body.〈
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