Doctors Face Six-Month License Suspension for Misleading Patients on Insurance Coverage

Doctors in South Korea face potential license suspensions of up to six months for misleading patients about private insurance coverage to encourage non-covered medical procedures. The Ministry of Health and Welfare has proposed stricter regulations, including a ban on deceptive advertisements that confuse patients about the scope, 대상, or cost of treatments eligible for private insurance.

This move comes amid concerns that some medical institutions have been exploiting the private insurance system to steer patients toward expensive, non-covered treatments, leading to an overutilization of medical resources. The proposed revisions significantly increase the penalty for such practices, raising the maximum suspension period from two months to six months.

The new rules also target the practice of doxxing medical professionals, which gained notoriety through incidents like the "Citrus List" that targeted doctors who returned to work during a medical strike or those who remained on duty. Sharing personal information online to identify and harass medical workers will now result in a three-month license suspension.

Authorities expect these measures to reduce the excessive promotion of non-covered medical services that leverage private insurance. The revisions aim to create a more transparent and ethical healthcare advertising environment while protecting medical professionals from harassment.