Ophthalmologists in Korea are strongly opposing the government's recent move to ban concurrent treatment and implement selective intensive examination of 15 types of tests. They are also calling for the establishment of prescription standards to prevent indiscriminate online prescriptions of artificial tears.
At a press conference held on the 9th at the Swiss Grand Hotel, Jeong Hye-wook, president of the Korean Ophthalmological Society, criticized the government's policies related to ophthalmology.
President Jeong stated, "The government's inclusion of cataract surgery in the ban on concurrent treatment is wrong. Choosing a treatment material within the medical procedure of cataract surgery is not concurrent treatment."
The Korean Ophthalmological Society's position is that whether to use a single-focus lens (covered by insurance) or a multi-focus lens (not covered by insurance) in cataract surgery depends on the medical judgment of the specialist and the patient's choice.
He added, "The act of banning concurrent treatment requires the conditions of non-severe, excessive, and mixed treatment, but cataract surgery does not fall under any of these categories. Policies that reflect the actual medical field are needed."
The Korean Ophthalmological Society is also making efforts to regulate illegal inducement related to cataracts, such as strengthening the review and crackdown on medical institution event advertisements.
"Problems with the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's Selective Intensive Examination, Which is Being Implemented Randomly"
The Korean Ophthalmological Society also criticized the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's (HIRA) implementation of selective intensive examination for 15 or more tests during outpatient treatment this year.
Choi Jeong-beom, vice president of the Korean Ophthalmological Society, said, "HIRA has been intensively examining OCT (optical coherence tomography) for three years. Personally, I recently received an official letter from our hospital warning that the number of retinal angiography cases has increased compared to the previous year, so we should be careful."
He argued, "In 2023, I was treating patients alone, and in 2024, I hired another doctor, so it is natural that the number of tests increased. However, when I looked at the proportion of procedures among all patients, it actually decreased."
Vice President Choi complained, "When I protested to HIRA that the ratio of tests to total treatment had decreased, HIRA replied that they were only counting the number of medical procedures. This is a case in point that proves that the examination is being conducted poorly."
He also pointed out, "With the recent government policy to expand non-face-to-face treatment, online prescriptions of artificial tears are increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate standards for non-face-to-face treatment and to prepare reasonable operating plans for non-reimbursed treatment."
President Jeong Hye-wook added, "Dry eye syndrome is an essential disease that requires precise examination. Prescribing based on simple questionnaires is not appropriate. We must establish standards for prescribing artificial tears through non-face-to-face treatment and introduce safety measures to prevent misuse and abuse."
He emphasized, "Medical intervention should be further strengthened so that appropriate treatment can be provided only to patients who actually need it. Policy supplementation that prioritizes patient safety is necessary."
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