• KDI Journal of Economic Policy
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.139-167
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• 2009

A new public insurance for long-term care was introduced in July 2008 to provide for the rising demand for long-term care as the population is aging rapidly. The demand for long-term care is expected to rise further because more and more elderly are living alone or in households with only other elderly, such as his/her spouse, without informal care of their adult children. Even when the elderly are living together with their adult children, daughters and daughters in law, once the main informal care-givers, are not available because they choose to become economically active and work more over time. Experiences of countries such as Japan and Germany with similar public long-term care insurance scheme highlight the importance of detailed analysis on the demand for long-term care for the financial stability of the insurance scheme. Countries which had underestimated the demand for long-term care at the time of adopting the scheme went through financial instability of insurance schemes. This study analyzes the determinants of the demand for long-term care using data from the second demonstration project (April 2006~April 2007) of the long-term care insurance scheme for the elderly in Korea. Taking full advantage of detailed data on the long-term care, this paper analyzes the eligibility for the long-term care insurance scheme and its use. According to study results, even when common diseases among the elderly such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, dementia, hypertension, etc. are controlled together with other individual and socioeconomic factors, limitations the elderly are faced with in their twelve activities of daily living significantly affect the eligibility for the Korean Long-term Care Insurance Scheme. This means that limitations in daily living activities are more critical than common diseases among the elderly are to the eligibility for the Korean Long-term Care Insurance Scheme. Bathing and toileting problems have been found to be the most important factor affecting the eligibility for the insurance scheme, followed by eating, dressing and moving around inside the house. Moreover, the choices of whether to use long-term care and which to use between home care and institutional care are found to be significantly influenced by health status and various socioeconomic factors of the elderly. In particular, those with more limitations in daily living activities and the female elderly are more likely to use long-term care and institutional care rather than home care. As for home care users, those living alone or with adult children and those with monthly household income of more than 500,000 won are more likely to use home care. Most importantly, even when the monthly household income of the elderly is controlled, the elderly recipients of the National Basic Living Security, who are not charged for long-term care, are more likely to choose home care. This implies that price as well as income is a critical factor for the decision to use long-term care. Further study on the duration of long-term care use will surely enhance the long-term care policy, when panel data is available for simultaneous analysis of the likelihood of long-term care use and its use duration.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.219-226
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to understand public perception of home-based hospice and identify related factors. Methods: Between August 19, 2014 and August 30, 2014, data were collected using an E-mail questionnaire that was filled by 1,500 adults who were over 20 years of age. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ${\chi}^2$-test and logistic regression. Results: Among the respondents, 15.9% were aware of home-based hospice care, and 61.3% were willing to receive home-based hospice care. The factors that influenced the participants' willingness to use home-based hospice services included residential district, religion and private health insurance. Respondents who lived in Seoul (OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.04~2.33), Gwangju/Jeolla province (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.23~3.32), Busan/Ulsan/South Gyeongsang province (OR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.17~2.82) were more well-aware of home-based hospice care than those who lived in Incheon/Gyeonggi province. The faithful were more informed about the services than those without non-faithful participants (Roman Catholics (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.30~3.17), Protestants (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.22~2.53). Participants who had a private health insurance plan knew more about the services than those without one (OR: 1.45, 95% CI: 1.03~2.04). Conclusion: First, it is necessary to improve perception of the public and healthcare providers regarding home-based hospice care. The government should review a measure to institutionalize operation of a palliative care team at hospitals and community home-based hospice care centers.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-99
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the effects of visiting nursing services in long-term care (LTC) insurance on changes in health status and physical functions among the elderly. Methods: We analyzed survey data on the living status and welfare needs of the elderly from 2008 and 2011 using the difference-in-difference method with propensity score matching. Results: The subjects were 76 elders including 38 visiting nursing service users(intervention group) and 38 home-based LTC service users (control group). Results from DID analysis confirmed that the subjective health status level of the intervention group was 2.2 points higher (p=.044) and the depression level was 0.3 point lower (p=.039) than the control group. In addition, the intervention group's ADL score was 1.9 (p=.027) and IADL 3.9 (p=.030), showing that their health was deteriorated less. Conclusion: Visiting nursing service in LTC insurance was associated with delayed deterioration of subjective health status, depression, ADL and IADL. These findings suggest the need of rebuilding visiting nursing service programs focusing on prevention services, which will be more contributive to elderly health care and the reduction of social costs.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.109-116
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• 2016

This study presents a unique way to improve consumer-oriented service for assistive orthosis products. Satisfaction and important factors were analyzed based on responses from disabled people who have used the orthoses. We surveyed 185 disabled people with QUEST (Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with assistive Technology), and we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 individuals. The average satisfaction score was 3.68 (orthoses satisfaction: 3.78; service satisfaction: 3.52). For each item, the highest score was effectiveness, and the lowest one was cost. As important factors for each item, the participants selected cost, comfort, repair, and service. The fee system for orthoses needs rational revision, and a delivery system should be constructed for follow-up services such as repair.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.347-352
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• 2011

Health insurance review & Assessment service (HIRA) has enforced cutting the drug costs when physicians prescribe split extended release drugs, starting from December, 2010. The objective of this study is to analyze extended release and enteric coated drugs on pharmaceutical reimbursement list in Korea, and to investigate the impact and barriers of the health insurance review on splitting extended-release formulation drugs. By using the ingredient code, extended release and enteric coated formulations make up 7.8% of all drugs in April, 2011. The most frequently used drugs are agent affecting circulatory and digestive system. From the extended release and enteric coated formulations (n=112), 34.8% (n=39) were not available in other dosage forms. According to questionnaire survey for 169 pharmacists (response rate: 73.8%), the rate of splitting and crushing of extended release and enteric coated drugs decreased. When pharmacists correct physician's prescription errors, the biggest problem was lack of other dosage forms. So it is necessary to develop variety of other dosage forms, and computerized checking system for splitting extended-release drugs. It is also important to inform physicians and patients in regard to the problems of split prescription of extended release and enteric coated drugs.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.124-130
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• 2018

Objective: This study examined the Risk Sharing Agreement (RSA) on pharmaceutical pricing system in Korean national health insurance. Through RSA, the insurer was able to maintain the principles in the price listing process while managing the budget effectively and improving patient access to new drugs. Despite these positive effects, there are still issues raised by some stakeholders, such as lack of transparency in the listing process and doubts about its effectiveness. Therefore, we investigated the impacts of RSA on national health insurance financing and patient access to analyze the effects of RSA. Methods: The impact of RSA was investigated by analyzing the health insurance claims data for 2014~2016. The degree of improvement in patient access was determined by the decreased amount of patients' payment. Results: Results showed that the financial impact of RSA was not significant and patients' access to the new drug greatly improved. Conclusion: These results show that RSA is a good system for improving patient access to new drugs without additional expense on insurance.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.248-261
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• 2019

Establishing a healthcare delivery system is key to building a cost-effective healthcare system that can prevent the waste of healthcare resources and increase efficiency. Recently, the rapid increase in the national medical expenditures due to the aging of the population and the increase in chronic diseases has raised the question about the sustainability of the healthcare system including the health insurance system. This is why we need to reform the medical delivery system, including the function setting of medical institutions. Accordingly, gradual and practical efforts based on the recognition of reality are needed for solving the problems and improving the medical delivery system. The first effort is to secure policy measures to establish functions and roles of medical institutions which are the basis of the healthcare delivery system, and a systematic medical use system for appropriate medical use. This approach can be achieved through a reasonable health insurance schemes. Without reasonable reform efforts, it will be difficult for Korea's health care system to develop into a system that can provide cost-effective and high-quality medical services that the people want.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.905-915
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• 2010

Objectives : This research identified the attitude towards senior citizens targeting the workers of the facility for senior citizens to establish Long-Term Care Insurance System early on, and to identify the degree of perception on the importance of senior citizens' oral health and on the need for dental sanitation specialists. Methods : This research targeted 233 workers of the facility for the senior citizens located in some parts of the Gyeongnam area. Survey was conducted from December 1, 2009 to January 31, 2010 to identify the facility workers' attitude towards senior citizens and on the perception towards Long-Term Care Insurance System. Results : 1. As for the awareness towards senior citizens, 50.2% said that they are comfortable around senior citizens while degree of kindness towards senior citizens was 48.5%. 21.0% had experienced training for senior citizens' oral health management. As for the question on who should serve as the trainer, dental sanitation specialists were citied the most with 47.6%. 29.2% was very interested in the senior citizens' oral health while 83.7% said that oral cavity managers are needed in the facility for the senior citizens. As for the question on who should be in charge, if necessary, dental sanitation specialist was cited the most with 57.9%. 2. Awareness on the Long-Term Care Insurance System, treatment for the oral cavity sanitation by visiting homes and information on the activity of long-term care specialists was high following the experience of training for the senior citizens' oral health management in case of the workers at the senior citizens' facility. This manifested statistically significant difference(p<0.05)(p<0.01). Moreover, treatment for oral cavity sanitation manifested statistically significant difference was manifested in the treatment for oral cavity sanitation following the need for oral health managers and who should be in charge, if necessary(p<0.01). Conclusions : These results advocate the need to develop diverse senior citizens' oral health management methods and to continue to carry out actions for senior citizens' oral health improvement that can be carried out by the long-term caretakers for the management of senior citizens' oral cavity health.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
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• v.21 no.10
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• pp.65-80
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• 2023

Through inductive content analysis, this study sought to examine the crisis experienced by the institution, the quality of service, and the distrust of the system and institution based on the experience of distrust in the home-visiting care service of bbeneficiary and guardians. FGI was conducted on five managers of institutions that provide home-visiting care services. As a result, the central phenomenon was found: deterioration of service quality, distrust of systems and institutions, and difficulties in opera-ting long-term care institutions. In order to improve the quality of home-visited care services and build trust in care workers and institutions, first, home-based associations or operating corporations should develop new education program plans and manuals to strengthen the capabilities of care workers and social workers. Second, the NHIS's monitoring system and the professional management system of care workers should be established. Third, it is necessary to improve awareness of the role, expertise, and rights of care workers, and fourth, improvement measures are required to reduce the turnover rate of care workers, which is the cause of the deterioration of the quality of long-term care services.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2010

Amid the rapid transitions in both local and international markets, the Korean dental industry is facing more challenges than at any time in its history. This paper tried to address some of the key issues faced by the industry as well as the policy issues and I direction of implementation that the Korean Dental Association (KDA) is expected to tackle. First, the direction of reforming the country's health insurance system was examined with emphasis on the expected changes in and improvement of the fee-for-service reimbursement system (FFSRS) and medical reimbursement system (MRS). With FFSRS, the most urgent issue would be ameliorating the current lop-sided, unreasonable reimbursement system that prevents suppliers from voicing their opinions. To help achieve that goal, the limited authority and responsibility of the president of National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC) as one of the contract-making parties must be clarified. In addition, the functions of NHIC's Health Insurance Finance Committee must be restricted; at the same time, the panel organization of the Health Insurance Policy Review Committee needs to be reformed to embrace greater democracy. As with MRS, the government is considering a block budget bill to help promote efficiency in employing and managing the health insurance fund. Policymakers must understand that the implementation of such proposal could exacerbate an already dire situation. Improving MRS requires meeting the following preconditions: (a) the structurally vicious cycle of small charge-small salary needs to be resolved, and a certain percentage of fee raise must be guaranteed on a yearly basis to help adjust the fee system to a more realistic level; (b) the supply-and-demand balance in producing health care professionals must be improved including the prevention of oversupply of doctors, nurses, etc., and; (c) institutional strategies must be provided to enhance the quality of medical care and ensure academic advancement in health care disciplines.