Starting Tomorrow, ID Required for Hospital and Pharmacy Visits
Joint Certificate and Mobile Driver's License Also Accepted
From the 20th, identity verification procedures will be mandatory at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies for health insurance coverage. However, the blue new passport in the photo does not include the resident registration number on the back, making it unusable as an identification card.
Starting tomorrow (the 20th), to receive health insurance benefits at hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, identity verification procedures such as presenting an ID card or electronic signature will be mandatory. Currently, benefits were provided simply by providing a resident registration number without any special procedures, but from now on, if identity verification is not completed, patients must initially pay the full medical fees. They can be reimbursed after completing identity verification within two weeks.
Patients and guardians are registering for medical appointments at a large hospital in Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@
What can be submitted as an ID?
ID cards include administrative or public institution-issued certificates containing a photo and resident registration number, such as a resident registration card, driver's license, passport, and health insurance card. Electronic signature certificates like the joint certificate or simple authentication, identity verification services from telecom companies, credit card companies, banks, and electronic IDs such as mobile health insurance cards and mobile driver's licenses are also acceptable.
Photos of ID cards and blue passports are not allowed
However, photos of ID cards and blue-colored new passports cannot be used. This is because the new passport does not include the back digits of the resident registration number. However, if a passport information certificate is available, the new passport can be used as an ID. Certificates or documents with an expiration date must be valid and not expired.
What about minors without ID?
In cases where identity verification is difficult for legitimate reasons, such as minors, the resident registration number can be presented as before. Patients in emergency situations are also exempt from identity verification.
Do I need to bring my ID every time I visit the hospital?
If a patient revisits the same medical institution within six months after identity verification, an ID is not required.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare improved the Health Insurance Act to enhance the fairness of the health insurance system. Currently, many medical institutions perform medical services by only receiving the resident registration number without verifying the patient's identity, leading to many cases of system abuse. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the average annual number of detected identity theft cases over the past five years is about 35,000. It is estimated that the actual number of undetected cases is much higher.
Medical institutions that fail to verify patient identity with an ID during treatment will be fined up to 1 million KRW. Anyone who rents or borrows health insurance qualifications may face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 20 million KRW.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
