Civic group urges to end pilot telemedicine program, citing it as a ‘failure’

The Movement Headquarters for Blocking Healthcare Privatization and Realizing Free Medical Service said on Tuesday that the for-profit app-centered telemedicine pilot project must be halted, and a public platform must be established to restart it. (Credit: Getty Images)

On Monday, the government said it would continue operating telemedicine services to ensure citizens face no inconvenience in accessing remote consultations even after lifting the severe-level public health crisis alert.

A civic group opposed the continuation of the telemedicine pilot program, arguing that the end of the pandemic and medical crisis removes its justification.

The Movement Headquarters for Blocking Healthcare Privatization and Realizing Free Medical Service stated that the private, profit-driven nature of telemedicine over the past five years has led to harmful side effects and failures. The group insisted, “The telemedicine pilot project must be halted.”

Instead, the group urged a public telemedicine platform, criticizing the Yoon government’s privatization approach and calling for the Lee administration to restart the pilot with public support.

The group noted that telemedicine was temporarily permitted under the unique circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic and commented, "Phone consultations might have been sufficient at the time, but the government allowed private apps under the rationale of industry promotion, leading to commercialization."

The headquarters added that even after the pandemic, the government continued the pilot, justifying it through policy goals in the Framework Act on Health Services.

The group accused private telemedicine apps of encouraging drug abuse, wasteful use of national health insurance, and "medication shopping."

"Private platforms, including 'Doctor Now,' allegedly contributed to concerns such as drug abuse and unnecessary medical treatment through unauthorized promotion of prescription drugs, resulting in increased use of the national health insurance budget," it said. "Some applications, according to the group, facilitated the ability for patients to obtain prescriptions for medications such as those for hair loss and diet."

The group further stated, "These platforms have allegedly encouraged practices such as text-based consultations, unauthorized dispensing, and actions that may be viewed as unethical or illegal, such as undisclosed advertising and providing benefits to pharmacies affiliated with platform-related wholesalers."

The headquarters explained that, in its view, the administration's decision to expand telemedicine during the resident doctors' strike was not aimed at addressing critical medical care gaps but rather considered corporate interests.

Reiterating its stance, the group called for the pilot project’s suspension, declaring the private telemedicine experiment a failure.

It cited two reasons.

According to the group, telemedicine primarily served to obtain non-covered prescriptions for issues like hair loss, diet, and acne treatments, rather than advancing the original policy goal of improving access in medically underserved areas such as islands and remote regions. The group stated it focused mainly on young and urban patients.

It concluded, “A public platform and a proper pilot project are necessary. Based on results, discussions on medical reform should follow.”