Medical tourism faces credibility crisis

Hospitals face tougher penalties for dealing with unregistered agencies

Hospitals that attract people through unregistered medical tourism agencies will be banned from accepting foreign patients for the next two years, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The ministry said Tuesday that it is promoting the revision of medical regulations to toughen punishments on hospitals that have deals with unregistered agencies in medical services for foreigners.

The measure follows a growing number of complaints from medical tourists, especially Chinese, who come to Korea to receive medical treatment through unregistered middlemen. Under current regulations, only registered medical tourism agencies can attract foreign clients.

“In many such cases, middlemen overcharge patients, luring them with exaggerated ads. They also tell hospitals that they will attract foreign patients and instead demand 30-70 percent of the medical fees as commission. Some hospitals in financial difficulties or newly opened clinics accept such offers, and the quality of the treatment is not guaranteed,” a ministry official said.

“We are seeking countermeasures because treatments through illegal brokerage may make foreigners lose trust in Korea’s medical services, consequently dealing a serious blow to Korea’s medical tourism,” she said.

For such hospitals, the government will cancel their license to attract foreign patients even through registered agencies. They will also be banned from obtaining the license for two years afterward.

Hospitals are required to obtain a license if they want to attract foreign patients through agencies. They don’t need one if they don’t have business with such agencies.

The ministry will also encourage associations of hospitals or medical tourism agencies to set up their own guidelines against illegal acts in order to boost the credibility of the nation’s entire medical tourism subsector.

“We’ll also encourage hospitals to give the receipt for medical fees to the patients or their families, not to the agencies,” she said.

As a related measure, the government plans to have 10,000 “global healthcare experts” by 2020 including nurses and interpreters specializing in medical treatment interpretation.

Starting next year, a state-run qualification test system will be adopted for medical tour coordinators who provide foreign patients with general information on treatment and hospital systems. The ministry will also allow more Korean-speaking foreigners to work as coordinators by easing regulations, but they will also have to take the qualification test.

The ministry is also considering adopting another license for interpreters specializing in medical treatment. It will also help hospitals and colleges make agreement on having graduates majoring in specific languages, such as Arabic and Russian, to be hired at the hospitals as interpreters.

The government also seeks to link medical tourism with regular tourism programs. “A medical visa will be issued to not only patients but also people who attend on them, such as family members, starting December. We’ll also develop a debit card with which the patients and the family can get discount on transportation, shopping, tour and medical fees,” she said. <The Korea Times/Kim Rahn>