Health insurance benefits withheld for hospitals with doctors on strike

The South Korean government is withholding advanced payments of health insurance benefits from some hospitals, as their affiliated doctors have yet to withdraw their ‘indefinite strike.’ Despite the payment suspension, the doctors claim they are effectively providing normal care by ‘rescheduling appointments.’

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Rep. Seo Myung-ok of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee, 105 hospitals nationwide applied for advance payments of health insurance benefits in May of this year. Of these, 62 hospitals were selected to receive the payments, while 34 were deemed ineligible. However, nine hospitals, including Seoul Asan Medical Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Severance Hospital, and Chungbuk National University Hospital, had their payments withheld because their affiliated doctors had declared an ‘indefinite strike.’ A Ministry of Health and Welfare official said, "It is not logical to provide necessary operating funds in advance to hospitals where doctors are on an indefinite strike. We will commence providing advance payments once the doctors publicly announce the end of their strike."

Chungbuk National University Hospital, which had been excluded from the advance payment list, began receiving payments on Tuesday after its doctors publicly ended their strike last Thursday. In contrast, doctors at the remaining eight hospitals, including Seoul Asan Medical Center and Korea University Anam Hospital, have yet to call off their strike, so payments remain suspended.


박경민 기자 mean@donga.com