"Worries Over Difficulty in Changing Hospital Systems Maintained for Decades"
As the government prepares to launch a pilot project for the restructuring of tertiary hospitals next month, most of the Big 5 hospitals (Seoul St. Mary's, Samsung Seoul, Seoul Asan, Severance, and Seoul National University Hospital) are expected to participate in the project.
According to a report by Asia Economy on the 27th, these hospitals stated that they are "still reviewing whether to participate," but it has been confirmed that internal opinions have effectively leaned toward participation due to concerns about potential disadvantages in future tertiary hospital designation evaluations.
Earlier, the government announced plans to increase fees for around 800 severe surgeries in the second half of this year and stated that compensation would be prioritized for medical institutions participating in the pilot project. At the Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee meeting held the previous day, the pilot project for the restructuring of tertiary hospitals, including these details, was approved.
Officials from tertiary hospitals agreed that although a final decision has not yet been made, the likelihood of participation is high. A representative from one of the Big 5 hospitals, referred to as Mr. A, said, "Since tertiary hospitals are designated through evaluations, I think all hospitals will eventually move toward participation." Another hospital official, Mr. B, also said, "Although the final decision has not been made, the atmosphere is that all tertiary hospitals should participate."
However, concerns were also raised about the practical difficulties involved. Mr. B said, "It is a realistic challenge because it requires changing hospital systems that have been maintained for decades," adding, "There are also concerns that the budget may not be sufficient." Mr. A also noted, "The current bed situation in tertiary hospitals is structured to optimize the process from admission to discharge for surgical patients," and said, "Participation in the pilot project is likely to be a loss from the hospital's perspective."
Currently, 47 tertiary hospitals are designated nationwide. Tertiary hospitals participating in this pilot project must increase the proportion of severe patients to 70% within three years or raise it by more than 50% compared to the current proportion. Conversely, general beds used by mild to moderate patients must be reduced by 5-15%, depending on the location and size of the tertiary hospital.
In return, the government plans to offer various incentives to compensate for losses, including a 50% increase in fees for intensive care units and the introduction of compensation for on-call and standby costs to strengthen 24-hour emergency medical functions.
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