Yoon: "The Most Urgent Task Is Medical Reform... A Plan to Improve Real-Expense Insurance Must Be Prepared Within the Year"

At the State Council Meeting, "Focus Capabilities on Advancing the Four Major Reform Tasks"
"Need to Accelerate the Reform of Non-Covered Services and Actual Expense Insurance"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 29th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 29th, "In the remaining two months, the government must focus its efforts above all on advancing the four major reform tasks," adding, "The most urgent task is medical reform." He specifically urged that a plan to improve indemnity insurance be prepared within the year to lead the normalization of the medical system and establish a cooperative system.

In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, President Yoon said, "The pursuit of the four major reforms?medical reform, pension reform, labor reform, and education reform?is directly linked to the livelihood of the people," emphasizing, "Without structural reforms across society, there is neither livelihood nor a future for the nation."

President Yoon stressed, "The success or failure of these reforms depends on the hands of public officials," and added, "In the next two months, we must thoroughly inspect the progress of the four major reforms and devote all our efforts to ensure that the core projects yield results."

He particularly urged that the medical system be maintained flawlessly to prevent any disruption in patient care during the winter season. President Yoon said, "Respiratory diseases like COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly are especially vulnerable to the cold winter weather," and requested, "Please prepare the emergency system and critical care management firmly so that the public does not feel anxious."

Referring to the 'Support Project for the Structural Transformation of Tertiary General Hospitals,' announced as the first task of medical reform, President Yoon mentioned that 18 tertiary general hospitals applied and were selected. He said, "I hope that more hospitals will join the medical reform within the year to eradicate the practice of relying excessively on residents' labor and that tertiary general hospitals will be reborn as 'critical care-centered hospitals' through all efforts."

He also urged accelerating the reform of non-covered medical services and indemnity insurance, scheduled as the second task of medical reform. President Yoon instructed, "If non-covered services and indemnity insurance do not harmonize with the public insurance system, the National Health Insurance, it is like pouring water into a leaking jar," and directed, "The Financial Services Commission Chairman and the Minister of Health and Welfare should prepare an improvement plan for indemnity insurance within the year to lead the normalization of the medical system and establish a cooperative system."

He continued, "Measures to address the judicial risks related to medical accidents, which have driven doctors working in essential medical fields away from the frontlines, should also be prepared promptly," adding, "Parts that can be implemented immediately, such as improvements in investigative procedures, should be promoted so that they can be felt directly on the ground, and efforts should be made to promptly propose the Medical Accident Special Act along with a reasonable dispute mediation system so that it can be thoroughly discussed in the National Assembly."