Severe maternal disabilities added to state compensation

Severe maternal disabilities have been added to state compensation for unavoidable childbirth-related medical accidents.

It covers severe disabilities sustained during delivery or after childbirth because of delivery-related abnormal signs, provided medical personnel fulfilled their duty of care and the outcome could not have been avoided. Previously, the program covered unavoidable accidents resulting in newborn cerebral palsy, the death of a newborn or the death of a mother. Its maximum compensation was increased last July to 300 million won ($211,984), from 30 million won ($21,198).

The health minister will set and announce detailed eligibility standards that take account of gestational age and fetal or newborn weight. The decree also revises the compensation review committee's procedures: parties can request recusal if statutory exclusion grounds apply or a fair review is difficult to expect, and members must withdraw when those conditions apply. The health minister may dismiss members for misconduct, failure to withdraw, prolonged inability to serve, unsuitability or at their own request.

"I hope this revision will support prompt and sufficient recovery from harm for patients while contributing to a stable treatment environment for medical personnel," Kwak Soon-heon, the ministry's director general for health care policy, said.

From May 2027, the state compensation program is planned to cover medical accidents tied to high-risk essential medical procedures set out in a Ministry of Health and Welfare ordinance.