Doctors clash over 'Mooncare'

By Jung Min-ho

In the wake of doctors’ protest against President Moon Jae-in’s scheme to expand national health insurance coverage, Oriental medicine doctors called the action “extremely selfish.”

“They are opposed to anything and everything that may hurt their interest,” the Association of Korean Medicine (AKM) said in a statement Tuesday. “Doctors are supposed to value the people’s health more than anything, but they don’t.”

Under so-called “Mooncare,” the administration will invest 30.6 trillion won ($27.9 billion) over the next five years to expand national health insurance coverage for more diseases. It aims to reduce individual medical costs by 18 percent.

Doctors protested the policy in Seoul, Sunday, because it will leave them with few options to make additional money through services not covered by the insurance, such as MRI scans.

The AKM said it supports the policy, saying more patients should be able to receive medical treatment for lower prices.

Perhaps a more important reason for the AKM’s support is the fact that it needs the government and the ruling Democratic Party, which controls the National Assembly, to pass a bill that would allow Oriental medicine doctors to use medical devices ― the subject of a long-pending conflict between the two doctors’ groups.

The AKM said the Korean Medical Association (KMA) has ignored the National Assembly’s recommendation of talks to resolve the issue by refusing to attend meetings.

The KMA has been opposed to the idea, saying Oriental medicine doctors, who were trained to treat people with traditional methods such as by using herbs, are not qualified to handle modern medical equipment such as X-ray machines. It insists that unprofessional use of such devices could risk the people’s health.

The KMA also claimed that the recent protest helped many people learn about the problems of Mooncare, which they

say will worsen the financial situation of many hospitals.

It vowed to continue to fight the government’s policy.

During their rally, doctors said the government keeps medical charges too low and forces them to sacrifice in the name of the people’s health. They said Mooncare is expected to hit small hospitals hardest.

Previously, President Moon dismissed financial concerns and said the policy would benefit everyone, especially those in the bottom 30 percent of the low-income bracket.