The Development of the Composite Index as a method of rate adjustment

의료보험수가 조정을 위한 복합지표 개발에 관한 연구

The current method of rate adjustment is based on the evaluation of the financial performance of hospitals. The method has the disadvantages such as too complicated, expensive process as well as low reliability due to small sample size. This study, therefore, develops a new model for the rate adjustment with the use of the composite index. In addition to that, it examines the validity of the model by comparing the result of the new method with that of the conventional method. The idea of the new model comes from the Medicare Economic Index(MEI) on which physician fees for the Medicare patients are adjusted periodically in the United States. Medical costs are classified into three groups : labor costs, materials and other expenses. Labor costs are subdivided into physicians and other personnels. Materials are subdivided into drugs and others. Other expenses are subdivided into 5 items. Macro economic indices are selected for each cost item in order to reflect the cost inflation during the specific period. Then the composite index which integrate all items according to the ration of each item in the total costs is calculated. The result from the application of empirical data to the new model is very similar to that of the current method. Furthermore, this method is very simple and also to easy to get social concensus. This model can be replaced the current method based on the analysis of the financial performance for the adjustment of medical fees.