![[종합] Ministry of Health and Welfare: “There is absolutely no intention to pursue medical reform or medical commercialization…an old ideological attack.”](https://i0.wp.com/img.newspim.com/news/2024/10/24/241024092941741_w.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1 "[종합] Ministry of Health and Welfare: “There is absolutely no intention to pursue medical reform or medical commercialization…an old ideological attack.”")
[세종=뉴스핌] Reporter Jeong Seong-hoon = The government completely denied claims by some that it is pursuing medical commercialization through medical reform.
Park Min-soo, First General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (Second Vice Minister of Health and Welfare), said at the Doctors’ Collective Action Headquarters meeting held at the Seoul Situation Center of the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room of the Seoul Government Complex on the 24th, “The medical reform promoted by the government is aimed at commercializing medicine. “Some of the claims are not true at all,” he criticized, adding, “The basis for such claims is also unconvincing and is nothing more than an outdated ideological attack.”
He emphasized, “The reason the government is reforming medical care is to revive the collapsing essential medical care and local medical care and further develop our medical system so that everyone can receive appropriate medical services in a timely manner in the area where they live.”
He said, “To this end, we must train the necessary medical personnel, establish a fair and undervalued compensation system, ensure that local medical institutions provide medical services tailored to their respective functions, and prevent medical personnel from performing essential medical services due to the burden of criminal procedures due to medical accidents.” “Rather than avoiding it, we are improving the system and making the necessary investments so that patients can receive appropriate relief,” he explained.
Vice Minister Park said, “The government will firmly maintain the national health insurance system, which provides medical coverage for all citizens, and will also firmly maintain its financial stability to reduce the burden of medical expenses on the people.” He added, “The government does not intend to pursue commercialization of medical services.” “I would like to make it clear once again that there is absolutely no plan,” he said.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare predicted this year’s health insurance budget surplus of 2.8 trillion won and reserve reserves of 31 trillion won. As a result, it is analyzed that stable operation will be possible even if more than 10 trillion won in health insurance finance is invested to promote medical reform over the next five years.
Vice Minister Park said, “I understand that there are a lot of concerns about health insurance finances due to the recent fee adjustment for emergency treatment support and medical reform,” and emphasized, “Health insurance finances are operating stably and will continue to be so.”
He said, “This year, we have spent 623.7 billion won from health insurance funds as of September to support emergency treatment,” and added, “As residents who account for more than 30% of the medical workforce have left, treatment at university hospitals that mainly handle patients with high severity and difficulty has been reduced.” “Please understand that this is a minimum and inevitable measure to protect the lives of urgent and critical patients such as cancer patients and cardiovascular patients in a situation where capabilities are greatly weakened.”
“Despite the increase in emergency treatment fees, advance payment of health insurance to teaching hospitals, and the freeze on health insurance premiums, this year’s health insurance finances are expected to have a surplus of about 2.8 trillion won in current fiscal year and 31 trillion won in reserves at the end of the year,” he said. “Even if we invest ‘10 trillion won+α’ in health insurance over the next five years in medical reform, we are confident that health insurance finances will operate stably with reserves above a certain level,” he said.
Next, regarding the operation of the ruling and opposition party council, Vice Minister Park said, “On the 22nd, the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences, an academic organization in the medical field, and the Korean Association of Medical Schools and Graduate Schools of Medicine announced their intention to participate in the ruling and opposition party council,” adding, “Despite the difficult internal circumstances, medical “We welcome the decision to participate in the consultative body for normalization, and we hope that this will open a space for full-scale dialogue with the medical community,” he said.
He said, “I believe that dialogue and communication are the first step to restoring trust and the best way to solve the problems before us.” He added, “The government will engage in dialogue with an open mind and sincere attitude. Medical Associations have not yet decided to participate.” “We repeatedly urge other medical organizations, including medical residents, to participate in the dialogue to think about patients and the future of our medical care,” he said.
Meanwhile, on this day, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters discusses the ‘new establishment of a special allowance for essential medical care maintenance at public medical institutions.’
Vice Minister Park said, “Public medical institutions play a central role in maintaining emergency medical treatment measures and providing local and essential medical care, but the compensation of doctors is significantly lower than that of the private sector, which makes it difficult for essential medical personnel to leave,” adding, “‘Essential medical institutions that are not subject to total labor cost regulations’ “By allowing ‘medical maintenance special allowances’ to be paid, we will enable each public medical institution to improve the treatment of essential medical doctors more autonomously and effectively,” he said.
Vice Minister Park also expressed concern regarding the Seoul National University Hospital union, which has announced a strike on the 31st, saying, “This is worrying news at a time when everyone is working together to maintain the emergency medical care system.”
At the same time, he said, “I understand the difficulties faced by health care workers who devote themselves in the medical field, but nothing is more important than the lives of the people and the safety of patients,” and asked, “Please solve the problem amicably through dialogue and small concessions between labor and management.” .
Next, Vice Minister Park said, “Patients with high severity and difficulty will be treated intensively by tertiary general hospitals with treatment capabilities, and patients with mild symptoms will be treated efficiently through cooperation with local hospitals and clinics.” “The first selection evaluation was held last week,” he said. “Eight general hospitals, including Kyungpook National University Hospital, Kyunghee University Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, Ansan Hospital, Guro Hospital, Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Chonbuk National University Hospital, and Chung-Ang University Hospital, were selected first.” He said.
At the same time, “selected institutions receive increased fees for treatment of severe, emergency, and rare diseases to enable stable structural transformation, and encourage them to reduce treatment of mild patients through active referrals and referrals with cooperative medical institutions in the region, and achieve results.” “You will be evaluated and receive additional incentive compensation,” he added.
He said, “If this project achieves its intended goal, a win-win structure of cooperation rather than competition will be established between large hospitals and small and medium-sized hospitals, and patients will be able to receive treatment at the most appropriate medical institution according to their severity.” “It is expected that the medical capacity secured by reducing the number of treatments will be able to be used to respond to emergency patients in case of emergency, which will also help resolve the problem of non-accommodation in the emergency room.”
Vice Minister Park said, “Although additional health insurance funds will be invested in this project, this will contribute to saving the lives of the most urgent and critical patients by supporting tertiary general hospitals to focus on serious treatment under stable financial conditions.” “For the recruitment of the structural transformation support project for tertiary general hospitals, we plan to leave a sufficient application period until after the end of December so that medical institutions can apply as soon as preparations are completed,” he said.
