[2026 Audit] 7.3 Million Telemedicine Sessions in 3 Years... Rising Usage Amid Ongoing 'Safety and Fee' Controversy

Nam Insoon’s Office: Average Monthly Users Jump from 90,000 to 150,000
Safety Measures Face Test Ahead of December Institutionalization

Although the number of users is rapidly increasing ahead of the institutionalization of telemedicine scheduled for December, issues surrounding safety management, treatment fees, and pharmaceutical delivery remain unresolved as of the article's publication date.

According to data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Assemblywoman Nam Insoon of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee on October 7, the number of patients who used telemedicine over the past three years—from June 2023 to May 2026—reached 2,759,858, with a total of 7,296,670 telemedicine sessions. The number of participating medical institutions was 11,185, and the number of participating pharmacies was 16,540.

The scale of telemedicine usage increased each year, with the average monthly number of patients rising from 90,717 in 2023 to 97,686 in 2024, 111,663 in 2025, and 150,085 in the period from January to May this year. Compared to 2023, the average monthly number of patients using the service increased by 65.4% this year. The average number of telemedicine sessions per month also increased by 70% over the same period.

Of all telemedicine sessions, 7,214,947 cases, or 98.9%, took place at clinic-level medical institutions. Major diagnoses included hypertension, acute bronchitis, type 2 diabetes, allergic rhinitis, and the common cold.

However, Assemblywoman Nam pointed out that the safety management system is not functioning adequately in line with the expansion of telemedicine usage. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s “Illegal Telemedicine Reporting Center,” 17 reports were received after the guidance period. Of these, 10 cases involved first-time patients who were not eligible for the pilot program, 3 were related to consultations and overseas drug delivery for patients living abroad, and 1 involved drug delivery to a patient who was not eligible for home delivery.

Assemblywoman Nam stated, “The Ministry of Health and Welfare claims to have checked the facts and taken action on the 17 reported cases through the relevant local governments, but after confirming violations of the telemedicine guidelines, most of the actions taken were merely administrative guidance, which amounts to a slap on the wrist.”

Issues regarding prescription safety were also revealed. From June 2023 to April this year, there were a total of 4,196 telemedicine prescriptions for drugs with restricted reimbursement coverage: 3,185 cases involved psychotropic drugs, 982 involved drugs prone to misuse, and 29 involved narcotics.

Additionally, over the past three years, 27.541 billion won in telemedicine pilot program management fees was paid out to medical institutions, while 3.348 billion won in tele-dispensing management fees was paid to pharmacies. Currently, telemedicine is subject to a 30% higher management fee than in-person consultations. With the amended Medical Services Act set to take effect on December 24 and telemedicine becoming institutionalized, there is growing interest in whether the government will maintain this additional fee in the official program.

Assemblywoman Nam emphasized, “The Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs has pointed out that the additional telemedicine fee is unprecedented, citing overseas examples where telemedicine fees are equal to or lower than those for in-person consultations. Considering that civic organizations and others are expressing concerns about the potential impact on the National Health Insurance budget, the government should actively consider abolishing or adjusting the additional telemedicine fee in the official program.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.