🚨 Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.12.20

0️⃣ Building Customized Health Management System for Elderly in Response to Super-Aged Society

📌 Introducing 'Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System' for Elderly… Government Also Considers Pilot Project for Disabled

💬 The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced it will introduce the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System for the elderly and promote a pilot project for Korean medicine health primary care doctors for the disabled as it finalized the 5th Korean Medicine Development Comprehensive Plan (2026~2030). This plan's core is to strengthen Korean medicine's primary care role in response to the super-aged society and systematically support health management for vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled. Korean medicine doctors are designated as primary care doctors to provide regular consultations and treatment, taking charge of long-term health management centered on non-surgical treatment like chronic disease management, pain treatment, and Korean medicine rehabilitation. The government plans to expand home visits and visiting medical care, improve Korean medicine quality control, and increase both the public nature of Korean medicine and industrial competitiveness through AI-based Korean medicine data analysis and medical-Korean medicine collaborative treatment system construction. Home-based medical care is expected to expand in connection with the Integrated Care Support Act scheduled for implementation in 2026.

💡 Summary

• The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System designates Korean medicine doctors as primary care doctors for continuous health management of the elderly and disabled.
• It aims to build a prevention-centered health management system targeting super-aged society response and primary care strengthening.
• It increases public nature and industrial competitiveness through home medical care expansion, AI data analysis, and medical-Korean medicine collaborative treatment system construction.

1️⃣ Definition

The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System means a system where Korean medicine doctors are designated as primary care doctors for chronic disease patients like the elderly and disabled to provide regular consultations and treatment while taking charge of long-term health management. As a core policy of the 5th Korean Medicine Development Comprehensive Plan (2026~2030) based on the Korean Medicine Development Act, it aims to institutionally guarantee Korean medicine doctors' role in primary care and strengthen prevention-centered health management.

Korean medicine primary care doctors manage patients long-term centered on non-surgical treatment like lifestyle management, pain treatment, musculoskeletal diseases, and Korean medicine rehabilitation. Especially for the elderly who have many chronic diseases and often suffer from multiple diseases simultaneously, continuous observation and integrated management are needed. The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System expects effects of building community-centered care systems and increasing medical accessibility in response to such needs.

💡 Why is this important?

• Korea entered a super-aged society in 2025, increasing the importance of elderly health management.
• Continuous and systematic health management is needed for chronic disease patients and elderly with limited mobility.
• Primary care strengthening can build a prevention-centered medical system and reduce medical cost burden.
• Home-based medical care and visiting medical care expansion can support vulnerable groups with low medical accessibility.

2️⃣ Main Contents of the 5th Korean Medicine Development Comprehensive Plan

📕 Background and Goals of Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System

• Response to super-aged society entry is needed. Key background:

  • Korea entered a super-aged society in 2025 with the population aged 65 and over exceeding 20%.
  • The elderly population has high demand for non-surgical treatment like chronic diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, and pain.
  • The elderly have an average of 2.9 chronic diseases per person, requiring continuous management.
  • The existing medical system alone cannot meet increasing elderly health management demand.

• Build a prevention-centered system through primary care strengthening. Key goals:

  • Korean medicine doctors as primary care doctors manage patients long-term to promote disease prevention and health improvement.
  • Provide prevention-centered services like lifestyle improvement counseling, regular checkups, and chronic disease management.
  • Shift from hospital-centered medical care to community-centered health management to increase medical accessibility.
  • The goal is to simultaneously achieve medical cost reduction and quality of life improvement.

📕 Pilot Projects for Elderly and Disabled

• Prioritize introducing the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System for the elderly. Key plans:

  • Prioritize chronic disease patients or patients with limited mobility among those aged 65 and over.
  • Korean medicine doctors regularly visit or continuously manage patients who visit clinics.
  • Provide lifestyle management along with Korean medicine treatments like acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal medicine.
  • Plan to start pilot projects from 2026 and expand gradually.

• Also promote a Korean medicine health primary care doctor pilot project for the disabled. Key details:

  • The disabled have high demand for chronic pain, musculoskeletal diseases, and rehabilitation, making Korean medicine approaches useful.
  • Expand home-based medical care in connection with the Integrated Care Support Act scheduled for implementation in 2026.
  • Develop customized health management programs considering disabled people's characteristics.
  • Will review whether to establish the system based on pilot project results.

📕 Home-Based Medical Care and Visiting Medical Care Expansion

• Strengthen visiting medical care for patients with limited mobility. Key measures:

  • Korean medicine doctors directly visit patients' homes or nursing facilities to provide treatment and prescriptions.
  • Support health management for groups with low medical accessibility like the elderly and disabled.
  • Improve home-based medical care fee systems to encourage Korean medicine doctor participation in visiting medical care.
  • Build an integrated care system in connection with Integrated Care Support Act implementation.

• Establish a community-centered health management system. Key goals:

  • Neighborhood Korean medicine clinics take on primary care roles to take responsibility for residents' health.
  • Expand Korean medicine services to medically vulnerable areas to resolve health inequality.
  • Provide integrated health management in cooperation with local health centers and welfare centers.
  • Long-term, reduce hospital use frequency and ease medical cost burden.

💡 Key Issues with Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System

1. Securing Financing: Challenge of how to set Korean medicine primary care doctor fees from health insurance finances
2. Medical-Korean Medicine Cooperation: Need for role adjustment with Western medical sector and collaborative treatment system construction
3. Quality Control: Establishing Korean medicine treatment standardization and quality management system
4. Medical Accessibility: Service provision plan for rural areas with insufficient Korean medicine clinics
5. Patient Choice: Guaranteeing patients' right to choose between Korean and Western medicine

3️⃣ Korean Medicine Public Nature Strengthening and Industry Development Measures

✅ Korean Medicine Quality Control and Safety Strengthening

• Systematize Korean medicinal herb quality control. Key measures:

  • Strengthen history management of the entire process from Korean medicinal herb production to distribution.
  • Mandate harmful substance tests like heavy metals and pesticide residues and strictly apply standards.
  • Reorganize hygiene and safety standards for Korean medicine preparation processes and strengthen inspections.
  • Increase reliability so people can use Korean medicine with confidence.

• Secure Korean medicine standardization and scientific evidence. Key tasks:

  • Support research to scientifically prove the efficacy and safety of major Korean medicine prescriptions.
  • Promote Korean medicine prescription standardization to maintain uniform medical quality.
  • Accumulate clinical research data to receive international recognition.
  • Establish evidence-based Korean medicine to gain trust from the medical community and public.

✅ Utilizing Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology

• Build an AI-based Korean medicine data analysis system. Key details:

  • Collect Korean medicine treatment records, prescription data, etc. and analyze with artificial intelligence.
  • Suggest customized treatment plans for each patient and increase diagnostic accuracy.
  • Digitize Korean medicine knowledge for use in education and research.
  • Strengthen Korean medicine competitiveness in the digital healthcare era.

• Expand online medical care and digital services. Key measures:

  • Non-face-to-face medical care allows Korean medicine consultations without distance and time constraints.
  • Provide health management and lifestyle monitoring services through mobile apps.
  • Greatly improve medical accessibility for remote patients or patients with limited mobility.
  • Create new value through fusion of digital technology and traditional Korean medicine.

✅ Medical-Korean Medicine Collaborative Treatment System Construction

• Pilot operate collaborative treatment models in public medical care areas. Key plans:

  • Build a system where Western medicine doctors and Korean medicine doctors treat together at public hospitals and health centers.
  • Prioritize introducing collaborative treatment in pain clinics, rehabilitation centers, chronic disease management, etc.
  • Provide optimal treatment methods to patients and efficiently utilize medical resources.
  • Create successful collaborative treatment cases and spread to private medical institutions.

• Also cooperate in supporting climate-vulnerable groups and disaster response. Key directions:

  • Provide medical-Korean medicine cooperation services for the elderly and low-income groups vulnerable to climate changes like heat waves and cold waves.
  • Utilize Korean medicine personnel and resources in disaster situations to increase emergency response capability.
  • Provide comprehensive services through Western and Korean medicine cooperation in community integrated care systems.
  • Long-term, build trust between medical communities and establish a culture of mutual respect.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explained

🔎 Korean Medicine Development Act

• The Korean Medicine Development Act is the law providing legal basis for Korean medicine development.
  • The Korean Medicine Development Act, enacted in 1999, aims to promote Korean medicine scientification and industrialization and contribute to improving public health. According to this law, the government must establish and implement a Korean Medicine Development Comprehensive Plan every 5 years. This 5th Comprehensive Plan (2026~2030) was prepared based on this law.
  • Main contents of the law include: First, it stipulates Korean medicine R&D support and human resource training. Second, it specifies Korean medicinal herb quality control and distribution improvement. Third, it supports Korean medicine industry development and export promotion. Fourth, it promotes Korean medicine informatization and international cooperation.
  • The Korean Medicine Development Act contains policy will to scientifically develop traditional Korean medicine and integrate it into the national healthcare system. This Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System introduction is also a policy based on this law, with the purpose of strengthening Korean medicine's public nature and primary care role. Through future law amendments, the legal status and authority of Korean medicine primary care doctors are expected to become clearer.

🔎 Primary Care

• Primary care is the basic medical stage that individuals first encounter.
  • Primary care means the first medical stage individuals encounter with disease or health problems, meaning continuous and comprehensive health management encompassing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Neighborhood clinics and health centers are representative primary care institutions, solving basic health problems in places closest to patients.
  • Characteristics of primary care include: First, high accessibility allowing patients to easily use it. Second, comprehensiveness handling various health problems. Third, continuity forming long-term relationships. Fourth, coordination role referring to specialists when necessary.
  • The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System combines Korean medicine approaches with the primary care system. It aims to reduce medical blind spots and build a prevention-centered medical system by providing continuous and comprehensive health management to vulnerable groups like the elderly and disabled. Korean medicine doctors as primary care doctors handle lifestyle management, chronic disease management, pain treatment, etc., and collaborate with Western medicine doctors when necessary to provide integrated services.

🔎 Home-Based Medical Care

• Home-based medical care is a system where medical personnel visit patients' residences for treatment.
  • Home-based medical care means medical personnel directly visit patients' homes or nursing facilities to provide treatment, prescriptions, and health management. It is useful for people with difficulty visiting hospitals like the elderly, patients with limited mobility, and chronic disease patients, allowing them to receive necessary medical services while continuing home life.
  • Advantages of home-based medical care include: First, it provides services to patients with low medical accessibility. Second, patients' psychological stability and quality of life improve from treatment in familiar environments. Third, it reduces medical cost burden by reducing long-term hospitalization. Fourth, integrated care is possible with family participation.
  • In the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System, Korean medicine doctors visit patients' homes to provide Korean medicine treatments like acupuncture, moxibustion, and cupping, and continuously perform lifestyle counseling and chronic disease management. Home-based medical care is expected to greatly expand in connection with the Integrated Care Support Act scheduled for implementation in 2026, and health management systems for the elderly and disabled are expected to strengthen significantly. Improving home-based medical care fee systems to encourage Korean medicine doctor participation in visiting medical care is a challenge.

🔎 Collaborative Treatment System

• A collaborative treatment system is a structure where Western and Korean medicine cooperate for treatment.
  • A collaborative treatment system means a structure where Western medicine doctors and Korean medicine doctors cooperate in patient treatment processes. The purpose is to provide optimal treatment to patients by combining advantages of each medical field and efficiently utilize medical resources. Collaborative treatment is known to be especially effective in chronic diseases, pain management, and rehabilitation.
  • Types of collaborative treatment include: First, joint treatment where Western and Korean medicine examine patients together and establish treatment plans. Second, linked treatment where one side treats first then refers to the other when necessary. Third, integrated treatment providing both Western and Korean medicine services within one institution. Fourth, consultation collaborative treatment where one side seeks professional opinions from the other.
  • The government plans to build collaborative treatment models in public medical care areas along with Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System implementation, and expand collaborative treatment in supporting climate-vulnerable groups and disaster response areas. Western and Korean medicine will cooperate in pain clinics, rehabilitation centers, chronic disease management, etc. to provide patient-centered integrated treatment, and long-term aims to build trust between medical communities and establish a culture of mutual respect.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can anyone use the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System?

A: Pilot projects will start targeting the elderly and disabled first, with plans for gradual expansion in the future.

• The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System initially prioritizes chronic disease patients or patients with limited mobility among those aged 65 and over. This is because they need continuous health management and Korean medicine treatment is highly effective for them. Also, pilot projects for the disabled are promoted together, so disabled people with chronic pain or rehabilitation needs can also receive benefits.
• If the system successfully establishes based on pilot project results, it may expand to other age groups or all chronic disease patients in the future. Patients can choose the Korean medicine doctor they want as their primary care doctor, and receive health management through regular consultations and treatment. When health insurance fee systems are established, out-of-pocket costs will also be adjusted to reasonable levels. How to use the system and target scope will be specified before and after 2026 pilot project implementation, so you can refer to announcements from the Ministry of Health and Welfare or National Health Insurance Service.

Q: Should I choose between a Korean medicine primary care doctor and a Western medicine doctor?

A: You can choose according to your health condition and preferences, and can also receive collaborative treatment when necessary.

• Even if the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System is introduced, patients can freely choose primary care doctors that suit them between Western medicine doctors and Korean medicine doctors. If Korean medicine treatment is effective for chronic pain, musculoskeletal diseases, digestive diseases, etc., you can choose a Korean medicine primary care doctor, and if you have acute diseases or need surgery, choosing a Western medicine doctor is appropriate.
• What's important is that you don't have to choose only one, but can use both Western and Korean medicine according to patient conditions. The government is building a medical-Korean medicine collaborative treatment system so Western medicine doctors and Korean medicine doctors can cooperate to treat patients. For example, post-surgery rehabilitation can be combined with Korean medicine treatment, or chronic diseases can receive both Western medicine drug treatment and Korean medicine health management to receive integrated services. Communication and cooperation between medical staff are important for optimal patient-centered treatment, and patients should also clearly convey their conditions and comprehensively judge medical staff's advice.

Q: Will the Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System reduce medical cost burden?

A: Long-term medical cost reduction effects are expected through prevention-centered management, but fee system design is important.

• The Korean Medicine Primary Care Doctor System responds early before disease worsens through prevention and continuous management, so long-term effects of reducing medical cost burden are expected by reducing hospital admissions and high-cost treatments. Managing chronic diseases well can prevent complications, and properly treating pain or musculoskeletal diseases may avoid surgery.
• However, how much actual patient out-of-pocket costs will be depends on how health insurance fee systems are designed. The government must set appropriate fees for Korean medicine primary care doctor services to maintain reasonable patient burden while allowing Korean medicine doctors to spend sufficient time providing quality treatment. Also, raising fees for home-based medical care and visiting medical care to encourage Korean medicine doctor participation is needed. Evaluating cost-effectiveness during pilot project periods and establishing the system in ways that reduce public medical cost burden while increasing medical quality is a challenge.

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