With the pilot project for non-face-to-face medical consultations scheduled for the 1st of next month, the government is accelerating its final round of opinion gathering. Amid disputes between the medical community and platform industry over whether to allow initial consultations, it appears there will be no change to the previously announced 'follow-up consultation-centered' principle from the ruling party-government discussions.
On the 17th, Cho Kyu-hong, Minister of Health and Welfare, is giving a greeting at the non-face-to-face medical pilot project party-government consultation. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 17th, the Ministry of Health and Welfare discussed the pilot project plan during the ruling party-government meeting and subsequently began final adjustments by gathering opinions from related organizations. Starting on the 23rd, the ministry collected opinions from five health and medical organizations?the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Hospital Association, the Korean Oriental Medical Association, the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, and the Korean Nurses Association?through the 'Health and Medical Development Council,' followed by a medical issue consultation meeting (medical-government consultation) with the Korean Medical Association on the 24th.
On the 25th, the ministry held the 'User-Centered Medical Innovation Council,' which included consumer groups, patient organizations, and labor unions, to discuss health and medical issues and explain the promotion plan for the non-face-to-face medical consultation pilot project. Attendees of the Medical Innovation Council included the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the Korea Consumer Federation, the Korea YWCA Federation, and the Korea Patient Organization Federation, reflecting the government's intention to incorporate medical consumer opinions.
During this opinion-gathering process, the government reportedly reaffirmed the principle of focusing the non-face-to-face medical consultation pilot project on follow-up consultations. The medical community has consistently emphasized that non-face-to-face consultations should be used as a supplementary means to face-to-face consultations. Many organizations participating in the Medical Innovation Council have maintained a negative stance toward the full introduction of non-face-to-face consultations. The Health and Medical Workers' Union and the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, both participating in the council, are active in the 'Free Medical Movement Headquarters,' which opposes the pilot project itself, and the Korea Patient Organization Federation has also expressed that initial consultations should be exceptionally allowed only within a very limited scope, focusing mainly on follow-up patients.
The non-face-to-face medical consultation platform industry has called the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s pilot project promotion plan a 'death sentence' and urged a complete review, but significant changes seem unlikely at this point. The Telemedicine Industry Council recently released an 'Appeal to the President,' stating, "The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s limited pilot project for target patients directly conflicts with the President’s statement that 'everyone in the nation should be able to benefit.' We would like to question whether the guideline requiring face-to-face consultations before non-face-to-face consultations is reasonable."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to announce the final pilot project promotion plan next week, comprehensively reflecting opinions gathered during consultations with various organizations.
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