A new bill for the legislation of non-face-to-face medical treatment, a major election pledge of President Lee Jae-myung, has been proposed by the ruling party. This revision allows most patients, excluding some, to receive non-face-to-face treatment, significantly expanding the range of allowances compared to the previous plan, which only permitted it in a limited manner at hospitals with a history of face-to-face treatment.
On the 31st, Representative Kwon Chil-seung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is a member of the Public Administration and Security Committee, introduced the medical law amendment for the legislation of non-face-to-face medical treatment. Although the passage of the bill will require consultations between the ruling and opposition parties and feedback from the medical community, it has been evaluated as likely to pass because it aligns with revisions previously proposed by opposition party lawmakers.
◇Abolishing the concept of first and repeat visits and allowing most
The bill proposed by Representative Kwon is the fourth non-face-to-face medical treatment-related bill submitted in the 22nd National Assembly. Previously, legislators of the People Power Party, including Choi Bo-yun of the Health and Welfare Committee and Woo Jae-jun of the Environment and Labor Committee, along with Jeon Jin-sook from the Democratic Party of Korea's Welfare Committee, also submitted bills.
This revised amendment permits non-face-to-face treatment starting from the initial visit for most patients, while emergency patients, those with mental illnesses, chronic patients, and children under the age of 14 without the consent of guardians will require it from repeat visits. According to emergency medical-related laws, emergency patients are defined as those who have been injured due to disease, childbirth, or various accidents.
Representative Kwon noted, 'The utility and stability of the system have been somewhat proven through a pilot project that has been in effect for six years,' and stated, 'There is a need to establish a framework that allows everyone to receive medical services anytime and anywhere by integrating domestic medical AI (artificial intelligence) and digital healthcare technologies.'
The amendment also does not include conditions that allow non-face-to-face treatment only for patients with a history of face-to-face treatment. Previously, Jeon Jin-sook from the Democratic Party of Korea's National Assembly Welfare Committee proposed a bill focused on 'adult repeat patients' in June, which only permitted non-face-to-face treatment for those who had undergone face-to-face treatment at a clinic at least once, receiving criticism for regressing from the existing pilot project.
In the medical field, there are concerns that if patients cannot remember the hospitals they previously visited or if those hospitals do not participate in non-face-to-face treatment, diagnosis itself may become impossible. Politicians believe that Kwon's amendment can dispel these concerns.
Representative Kwon served as the Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups during the Moon Jae-in administration and chaired the 'Meoksanism Committee' during the last presidential election, preparing President Lee's pledge for the legislation of non-face-to-face medical treatment. As the current chair of the Democratic Party's Special Committee on Small Businesses, there is a high likelihood that Kwon's bill will become the center of legislative discussions.
◇Reducing safety concerns and increasing patient benefits
The medical community acknowledges the necessity of non-face-to-face treatment but expresses concerns about its safety. This is due to potential issues of responsibility or misdiagnosis when treating patients without seeing them in person. This revision includes safety measures aimed at mitigating these issues.
The most notable addition is the 'medical my data' provision. It allows medical personnel to verify personal health information such as patients' medical history, treatment records, and medication history with the consent of the information subject during non-face-to-face treatment. This is the first time that the use of my data has been explicitly defined in the medical law.
If medical professionals can access patients' health data, they can more accurately determine the possibility of non-face-to-face treatment without relying solely on patient explanations and refuse it if necessary. This enhances not only the benefits for patients but also the decision-making authority of medical professionals.
Moreover, the training course that medical professionals must complete for at least 8 hours annually will now include education on the use of non-face-to-face treatment and IT technology. Provisions from the existing pilot project such as restrictions on prescribing narcotics and prohibiting the establishment of dedicated medical institutions have also been incorporated into the bill. However, the delivery of medication, which has faced strong opposition from the Korean Pharmaceutical Association, remains excluded as in previous bills.
Baek Nam-jong, chairperson of the Remote Medical Association and a professor in rehabilitation medicine at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, evaluated, 'This bill is encouraging in that it has comparatively expanded the autonomy of medical personnel and the scope of liability protection.' He added, 'Non-face-to-face treatment currently supplements about 10% of overall medical care, and there is a need for a gradual approach to legalize the system and improve it during the implementation process.'
However, discussions are needed on how to resolve the recently emerging misuse of specialty pharmaceuticals. Chairperson Baek expressed concern, saying, 'As demand for specific specialty drugs, such as Wegovy for obesity treatment or drugs for hair loss, increases, there are worries that non-face-to-face treatment could be abused.'