The government uncovered 88 "fake ambulance" companies that had been operating illegally, such as using ambulances for commuting and inflating inter-facility treatment fees. It plans to suspend operations and file complaints against companies with serious violations.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare said on the 7th that, after inspecting all 147 private transport companies over three months from July to September, it confirmed 94 violations at 88 companies.
Private ambulances play a crucial role in the emergency transport system, handling 68.5% of all inter-hospital transfers. However, there have been continued criticisms that out-of-purpose use such as transporting entertainers and unnecessary traffic law violations undermine public trust and hinder the swift transfer of patients.
This inspection was carried out by local governments conducting on-site checks under the instruction of President Lee Jae-myung, who raised the need to crack down on fake ambulances.
The inspection found that 80 companies improperly managed basic documents, such as omitting operation records or failing to submit dispatch and treatment records. Eleven companies were caught committing serious violations, including out-of-purpose use, excessive billing, and transfers outside their business areas.
Document-related violations will be subject to fines and administrative guidance, while serious violations such as excessive billing for inter-facility treatment and out-of-purpose use will face strong responses from local governments, including business suspension and criminal complaints.
Key violations included cases where vehicles were parked near employees' homes for quick dispatch and used for commuting, which is out-of-purpose use. When transferring the same patient consecutively to three hospitals, the base fare should be charged only once (with additional distance-based fees), but a case was found where the base fare was charged three times.
Like taxis, ambulances must transport only patients within their permitted areas, but a case was uncovered where an ambulance from area A transported a patient from a hospital in area B to a hospital in area C, which was outside its business area.
The government said the existing "document management" method has limits and decided to introduce a real-time GPS management system. When an ambulance operates, real-time GPS information will be sent to the National Emergency Medical Center, and a system will be built to check it at all times. Through this, illegal operations can be identified immediately, and the preparation of operation documents will be automated, improving accuracy and convenience.
It also plans to strengthen interagency cooperation by working with the Korean National Police Agency to link information on fines with operation records.
Along with improving the management system, the government will push to align transport expenses with reality. Since 2014, inter-facility treatment fees have not risen, increasing management burdens on companies and, according to some, encouraging certain illegal practices.
Accordingly, it will raise the base fare and additional charges to reflect transport expenses and, to supplement the distance-based calculation of inter-facility treatment fees, will push to expand nighttime surcharges, introduce holiday surcharges, and create waiting fees. It also plans to introduce a certification system for private transport companies and is reviewing support from the National Health Insurance for transfers of critically ill emergency patients.
Jeong Tong-ryeong, director of public health policy at the ministry, said, "Through a GPS-based management system, we will improve the transparency and trust of ambulance operations and reform the system to create a safe transport environment for patients."