[2024 National Audit] 7,500 Medical Students' Classes... NHIS "Possible" vs HIRA "Not Possible"

Chairman Jeong Gi-seok "Support for Staff Increase... Medical Reform Will Proceed as Intended"
Director Kang Jung-gu "Leave of Absence Is a Personal Right... Simultaneous Classes Next Year Impossible"

Assuming a situation where about 7,500 first-year medical school students will attend classes simultaneously next year, Jeong Ki-seok, Chairman of the National Health Insurance Service, predicted that "education is possible," while Kang Jung-gu, President of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, gave a contrasting forecast, saying "it is impossible." The figure of 7,500 combines approximately 3,000 medical school freshmen for the 2024 academic year who are on collective leave in protest against the government's medical school expansion policy and about 4,500 new students to be admitted next year.

Jung Ki-seok, President of the National Health Insurance Service (left), is responding to a question from Seo Young-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit on the 16th.
[Photo by National Assembly Broadcasting]

On the 16th, at the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit, in response to a question from Jeon Jin-sook, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asking whether he supports the increase of 2,000 medical school quotas, Chairman Jeong replied, "I support the increase but have not deeply considered the exact number."

When asked whether he thinks it is possible to educate 7,500 students next year, he said, "Since it is the pre-medical course, it should be possible to teach 7,500 students." However, when questioned about whether he views leave of absence as an individual right or whether medical education can be shortened to five years, he avoided a direct answer, saying, "I don't know." This was interpreted as related to a comment made by Jang Sang-yoon, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs at the Presidential Office, during a discussion held on the 10th at Seoul National University College of Medicine with the government and the Seoul National University Hospital professors' emergency committee, where he said, "Leave of absence is not a right," referring to the collective leave of medical students.

Chairman Jeong also responded to a question from Seo Young-seok, a Democratic Party member, about his opinion on the medical school expansion and the medical service gap crisis, saying, "Since the government has proposed many measures regarding essential and regional medical care, if these are implemented as is, it could proceed in the originally intended direction of medical reform."

When Seo asked, "Didn't you say at last year's audit that the trickle-down effect of the expansion would be minimal?" Jeong explained, "Personally, I have long held the belief that medical school expansion is necessary. The point was that expansion alone is not enough, so supplementary measures currently being implemented must accompany it." Earlier, at last year's Health and Welfare Committee audit, Chairman Jeong had said, "It is obvious that if the number of medical students increases, the number of dermatologists and cosmetic doctors will also increase," and added, "If the number of doctors increases, the National Health Insurance Service's budget will have to expand significantly."

When Seo asked, "You announced that 2 trillion won of National Health Insurance funds were used due to the medical crisis and that 20 trillion won will be spent on medical reform in the future. What do you think about this?" Chairman Jeong replied, "I think there is no major problem with the National Health Insurance finances in the plans made and some processes already underway." He added, "There has been little change in the part executed by the Service due to this situation, and efforts to protect vulnerable groups and strengthen coverage are ongoing without pause."

Chairman Jeong also said in response to a question from Lee Gae-ho, a Democratic Party member, about whether there are measures to address the heavy financial burden on National Health Insurance from maintaining the emergency medical system, "So far, the total expenditure on benefits this year is less than what was predicted."

In response to Lee's question, "The current medical crisis is being covered by National Health Insurance funds, but do you think the government should bear the cost from general finances?" Jeong answered, "The government should also bear the cost, but I believe we are spending on the parts we should."

Kang Jung-gu, President of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (right), is responding to a question from Lee Ju-young, a member of the Reform New Party, during the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's audit on the 16th.
[Photo by National Assembly Broadcasting]

Meanwhile, Kang, who was asked the same questions as Chairman Jeong, gave a contrasting answer, saying, "(Medical students') leave of absence is an individual right," and "It will be impossible to hold classes for 7,500 medical students next year."

When asked whether he supports the expansion of medical schools, Kang said, "It is difficult to comment," but added, "In the case of practical training, it will be almost impossible to hold classes for 7,500 students next year, and even for theoretical classes, it will be difficult." Regarding the recent allowance by the Ministry of Education to shorten the medical course from six years to five years depending on the situation, he also said, "I think five years will be impossible."