A proposed amendment to the Medical Service Technologists Act that would allow physical therapists and other medical technicians to visit patients' homes to provide rehabilitation services has stalled in Korea's National Assembly. While patient groups support the revision, arguing it is "urgent for managing the health of citizens with mobility difficulties," doctors' associations have strongly opposed it, claiming it "could pose serious risks to public health," preventing the bill from even being discussed at a standing committee.
According to the National Assembly on Tuesday, the amendment, originally scheduled to be tabled at the first subcommittee for bill review under the Health and Welfare Committee on Nov. 28, was excluded from the agenda after ruling and opposition parties failed to reach an agreement. The Medical Service Technologists Act regulates the qualifications, scope of work, and supervisory relationships of medical technicians, including clinical pathologists, radiologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. The existing law defines medical technicians as "persons engaged in medical treatment or medicochemical testing under the guidance of a physician or dentist." The scope of this guidance has generally been interpreted as being limited to within medical institutions. This means patients with mobility difficulties must visit a hospital in person or be admitted to receive rehabilitation treatment.
The positions of the two sides are at odds because demand for the legal revision has grown in tandem with the Integrated Care Act, which takes effect March 27. The "Home Medical Care Project for Rehabilitation Patients," which began in 2020, has remained a pilot program for six years due to the lack of a legal basis. The amendment, jointly proposed by 34 ruling and opposition lawmakers last year, stipulates that medical technicians can perform duties not only under physicians' guidance but also through prescriptions and referrals. By expanding the scope of medical technicians' work, the bill establishes a legal basis for performing rehabilitation treatment and other services outside medical institutions when a doctor issues a prescription.
However, doctors' groups have pushed back, calling it "an attempt to shake the foundation of the medical system," preventing the bill from even reaching the standing committee agenda. The Korean Medical Association (KMA) visited the district office of Rep. Nam In-soon of the Democratic Party of Korea on Nov. 27, a day before the subcommittee review, to demand withdrawal of the bill. KMA President Kim Taek-woo said, "If medical technicians can perform their duties solely through prescriptions and referrals without direct involvement from doctors, it could pose serious risks to public health." Bills allowing medical technicians to open independent practices or expanding their scope of work were also proposed in 2010, 2013, and 2019, but were repeatedly scrapped due to opposition from doctors' groups. This time, too, the bill appears unlikely to clear the National Assembly.
The parties directly involved, medical technicians and patient groups, are urging passage of the bill. The Korean Federation of Medical Service Technologist Associations held a rally in front of the National Assembly on Nov. 24, arguing, "The Korean Medical Association is restricting citizens' right to choose with the anachronistic standard that all medical practices must be performed solely under doctors' guidance." A National Assembly official expressed regret, saying, "Even though the amendment incorporated language stating that 'only technicians affiliated with medical institutions should be allowed,' opposition from the KMA remains strong."
