'Professor Group Strike' Recently Included 8 Places Including Severance
NHIS "Considering Additional Advance Payment Support and Repayment Deferral"
The government has advanced approximately 1.5 trillion won in health insurance benefits to 74 training hospitals struggling financially due to the departure of residents. Eight other hospitals, including Severance Hospital, which had their advance payments withheld due to a collective strike declared by professors, have recently received their payments.
According to data received by Assemblywoman Han Ji-a from the National Health Insurance Corporation on the 18th, the government paid 1.4843 trillion won to 74 resident training hospitals, up to 30% of the salary expenses from June to August of the previous year.
Health insurance advance payment is a loan-like system where a certain amount of the previous year's monthly salary expenses is paid in advance to each medical institution and settled afterward.
After the collective resignation of residents, as each training hospital faced operational difficulties and prolonged financial distress, the government announced a plan in May to support health insurance advance payments, citing concerns that essential medical services and emergency care systems might be disrupted.
The hospitals selected for advance payment include 74 institutions: 43 tertiary general hospitals and 31 general hospitals that met the advance payment criteria such as ▲continuing care for critically ill patients ▲efforts to maintain essential medical services independently ▲and decreased medical revenue.
Originally, out of 210 resident training hospitals, 105 applied for advance payment, but 31 hospitals were excluded for not meeting the selection criteria, according to the National Health Insurance Corporation.
Among major hospitals, Seoul National University Hospital received a total of 67.4 billion won in advance payments for June, July, and August?21.3 billion won, 23.4 billion won, and 22.7 billion won respectively. During the same period, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital received 47.2 billion won, Samsung Seoul Hospital 85.8 billion won, Severance Hospital 87.9 billion won, and Seoul Asan Hospital 110.6 billion won.
Eight hospitals, including Korea University Anam Hospital, Guro Hospital, Ansan Hospital, Seoul Asan Hospital, Severance Hospital, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Gangneung Asan Hospital, and Ulsan University Hospital, had their advance payments withheld due to a collective strike declared by professors but later met the selection criteria and received advance payments as of the 14th.
The National Health Insurance Corporation plans to recover the advanced payments by evenly dividing one-sixth of the amount to be paid to these hospitals from January to June next year.
The corporation stated, "Due to the prolonged departure of residents and the ongoing emergency care system, repaying the advance payments in the first quarter of next year is burdensome, and some medical institutions have expressed the need for additional advance payment support. We will actively discuss additional support and repayment deferral measures with the Ministry of Health and Welfare."
Assemblywoman Han said, "The fact that half of the resident training hospitals applied for health insurance advance payments shows how severe the financial situation is. If the financial difficulties of training hospitals continue, it will lead to reduced beds and medical services, increasing harm to the public. Therefore, measures such as easing the selection criteria for advance payments are necessary."
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