The inconvenience of separately gathering documents to claim indemnity insurance payouts after hospital treatment is expected to be greatly reduced. The government plans to expand the network of medical institutions linked to 'Silsom24,' the computerized indemnity insurance claims service, and strengthen cooperation so that claim procedures can be easily used through everyday platforms such as Naver Map and financial applications.

■ Silsom24, Two Years Since Launch... Medical Institution Linkage Rate at 47.7%

The computerization of indemnity insurance claims is a system in which, when a consumer requests an insurance payout through an application, the medical institution electronically transmits the necessary documents to the insurance company. It was implemented on October 25, 2024, marking its second year this year. The government believes this system will help consumers recover unclaimed indemnity insurance payouts, which amount to hundreds of billions of won annually.

However, insufficient network connections with medical institutions remain a constraint on the service's use. As of September 28, of the 105,643 medical institutions nationwide, 50,340 were connected to Silsom24, or 47.7% of the total. While the service can be used at about 50,000 hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, a considerable number of medical institutions are still not linked.

■ Targeting 80-90% Linkage Rate for Hospitals and Clinics by Year-End... Reviewing Mandatory Linkage and Fines

The government decided to expand on-site support with the goal of raising the Silsom24 linkage rate for hospitals and clinics to 80-90% by the end of this year. It plans to encourage participation by directly contacting medical institutions or having staff visit to promote network connections, and will also push for providing incentives to participating institutions.

Not only medical institutions but also companies that develop and supply electronic medical record programs are included in the scope of system improvements. The government is reviewing measures to more clearly define the obligation of medical institutions and electronic medical record companies to link with Silsom24. It is also considering amending the Insurance Business Act to allow fines to be imposed when network connections are not implemented without justifiable reasons. However, the imposition of fines is not a confirmed measure at this point; whether to introduce it must be decided through future legal amendments.

■ Claims Also Possible on Naver Map and Financial Apps... Strengthening Awareness Campaigns

Connections with private platforms will also be expanded so consumers can easily use Silsom24. The plan is to strengthen linkage so that medical institutions using Silsom24 can be easily checked on everyday platforms such as Naver Map, and to broaden the connection of indemnity insurance claims service functions within financial applications.

In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the government will also conduct promotional activities to raise public awareness of Silsom24. It plans to inform the public of how to use the service through broadcast media such as TV and radio, online, and inside medical institutions, and will also hold a contest for Silsom24 promotional videos with direct public participation.

These improvement measures focus on reducing inconvenience consumers experience in the claims process, along with expanding medical institutions' participation in the network. In particular, the aim is to improve accessibility so that consumers who have indemnity insurance but have not applied for payouts due to cumbersome procedures can use the service more easily. However, whether the year-end linkage rate target will be achieved and the scope of services provided by each platform may vary depending on future progress.

[This article was written based on materials from relevant institutions regarding the expansion of computerized indemnity insurance claims, with partial assistance from AI. Whether indemnity insurance payouts are made and the amounts paid may vary depending on the terms and coverage conditions of the insurance products enrolled in.]