Demand-supply of Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) and Alternative Benefit Strategies in the National Health Insurance

전문간호사의 수급 현황과 건강보험 급여화 방안

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the demand and supply of advanced practice nurses and suggest alternative benefit strategies in the Korean national health insurance. Methods: A revised demand & supply model was used to estimate the excess supply of APNs, and policy making process and key actors in the Korean health insurance were considered to develop a political approach to the APN issue. Results: The social demand for APNs is currently estimated to be less than 50% of its supply and the APN education program fell into difficulties in recruits. No reimbursement mechanism for APN's services in the national health insurance has given no economic incentive to hospital managers who have monopsony power in nursing labor market, which has caused the demand shortage of APNs in hospital industry. Payment for APN's services recognized as one of the most significant strategies to booster the social demand for APN's services should be carefully designed and implemented in the national health insurance. In line with this, key actors in health insurance policy decision-making include government, national assembly, labor unions, NGOs, civic groups, medical associations, and academia. Conclusion: The basic researches for APN's activities and cost-effectiveness analysis in clinical settings are required to support the strategies aforementioned. Constructing a policy network among key actors is able to make the payment strategy feasible, which will increase the socal demand for APNs.