KMA Urges Total Reconsideration of Telemedicine Enforcement Rule Revision, Calling It a Violation of Principles

The Korean Medical Association (KMA) urged a complete reconsideration today (October 19) regarding the enforcement rule revision proposal for the Medical Service Act related to telemedicine pre-announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, stating that it violates the principles stipulated in the Medical Service Act.

In a press release, the KMA criticized, "The enforcement rule revision proposal directly overturns the principle in subordinate statutes that strictly limits telemedicine as a supplementary means to in-person care."

It noted that the government and the medical community previously agreed on four major principles—▲ the principle of in-person care, ▲ a focus on follow-up patients, ▲ a focus on primary clinics, and ▲ the prohibition of institutions dedicated exclusively to telemedicine—and incorporated the framework of the system into the revised Medical Service Act.

The association continued, "However, the enforcement rule revision proposal vastly expands initial visits, hospital-level care, and out-of-region treatments, which the law treated as exceptions, thereby inverting the rule and its exceptions," and argued, "Expanding statutory exceptions through subordinate legislation goes against the legislative intent."

The KMA pointed out, "Safety devices once loosened by convenience and industrial logic are difficult to roll back, and the resulting damage falls squarely on patients," adding, "For the government to overturn the basic principles it promised to the medical community just two months or so ahead of the law's implementation breaks trust in its policies."

The KMA demanded that the government fully reconsider the revision proposal in alignment with the four major principles, stating, "If the revision proposal is finalized as is, we will carefully review even our participation in telemedicine."
(Photo provided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.