President Lee’s medical reform panel to livestream discussions, publish transcripts

The government will formally launch the “National Participatory Medical Innovation Committee” to promote President Lee Jae Myung's signature healthcare reforms.

Comprising around 30 members, more than half of the committee members will be consumers and experts, with discussions made public through online platforms and verbatim transcripts.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on Thursday its plan to establish the National Participatory Medical Innovation Committee, aiming to drive healthcare reforms that garner consensus from the public and the medical community.

Although the medical field is now returning to normalcy with the return of trainee doctors, issues requiring resolution still remain, including the crisis affecting regional and essential medical care.

The government plans to swiftly prepare a citizen-centered medical innovation plan by establishing a new healthcare reform promotion system centered on participation, communication, and trust, reflecting on past reform efforts.

Regarding the committee's composition, the government will enhance public representation in discussions on healthcare innovation. To achieve this, it plans to include diverse citizens representing patients, consumers, local communities, youth, labor unions, and employers, as well as experts from fields beyond healthcare, such as economics, society, and technology. Notably, it aims to allocate more than half of the total committee seats to members representing users and experts, thereby enhancing diversity and representativeness.

The main committee will consist of up to 30 members, with the vice chair appointed by the Prime Minister from among private-sector members. Government members will include the Ministers of Health and Welfare, Economy and Finance, and Interior and Safety.

In addition to the main committee, specialized committees will be formed to conduct in-depth reviews of agenda items and develop concrete implementation plans. The current Medical Reform Promotion Team will be reorganized into a cross-ministerial collaborative body called the “Medical Innovation Promotion Team.”

Opportunities for direct public participation will also be expanded. A new “Citizen Panel for Medical Innovation” will be established within the innovation committee to deliberate on issues requiring social consensus and prepare recommendations. These recommendations will be made public. Following discussions within the innovation committee, the results and implementation plans will be announced to ensure effective implementation.

Furthermore, an online public participation platform will be operated to allow any citizen to propose policies and participate in surveys. The discussion processes and outcomes of the committee and the citizen panel will be made public through online live streaming and the release of verbatim transcripts.

Innovation tasks will shift focus from supply-side, mid-to-long-term structural reforms—such as medical personnel, the healthcare delivery system, and the compensation system—to a demand-oriented approach.

Accordingly, the new healthcare reform framework will focus on finding practical solutions to problems that citizens currently face, such as addressing gaps in pediatric, obstetric, and underserved area care; minimizing emergency room refusals; and improving access to long-distance medical travel from metropolitan areas.

It will also explore ways to improve rehabilitation, long-term care, and end-of-life care in preparation for a super-aged society, as well as strengthen regional, essential, and public healthcare through technological innovation. However, the government has decided not to predetermine detailed agendas. Instead, it will finalize specific topics through democratic and open discussions after the committee's launch.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to enact the “Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the (Provisional Title) National Participatory Medical Innovation Committee and Medical Innovation Promotion Team” via a presidential decree in October to establish the innovation committee and solicit recommendations for committee members from various sectors. Once the committee composition is finalized, the committee will be launched, and a citizen-centered medical innovation roadmap will be prepared.