• 보건행정학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.126-130
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• 2020

Catastrophic health expenditure refers to measure the level of the economic burden of households due to medical expenses. The purpose of this study was to examine the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure between 2006 and 2018 using available data from the National Survey of Tax and Benefit (NaSTaB), Korea Health Panel (KHP), and Households Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES). Trend test was used to analyze the proportion of household with catastrophic healthcare expenditure. The households experienced the catastrophic health expenditure 2.08% in 2018 using the NaSTaB data. Trend analysis was significant with the decreasing trend (Annual Percentage Change [APC], -4.88; p<0.0001) in the proportion of households with the catastrophic health expenditure. On the other hand, the results of the HIES showed 2.92%, and KHP showed 2.48% of households experienced the catastrophic health expenditure in 2016. The trend was significantly increased in HIES (APC, 1.43; p<0.0001) and KHP (APC, 6.68; p<0.0001). Therefore, this suggests that further interventions to alleviate the burden of catastrophic health expenditure to the low-income group are needed.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.62-71
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• 2020

Background: The purpose of this study is to analyze the current status and factors of elderly patients' hospitalization for hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery. Methods: National health insurance data in 2018 was provided by the National Health Insurance Service. We used multiple regression to analyze factors associated with the medical utilization of hip replacement, knee replacement, and general spine surgery in elderly patients over 65 years old. The dependent variables are the length of stay and total health expenditure. The independent variables are the demographic-social factors (sex, age, region, insurance type, income level) and surgery-related factors (institution type, location of the hospital, surgery classification). Results: The most common factor affecting surgery was the location of medical institutions. Compared with the medical institutions located in metropolitan, the length of stay in rural medical institutions was higher and total health expenditure was lower. The lower quartile of income, the higher the length of stay and total health expenditure. In addition, the variables of age, type of health insurance, and type of medical institution were statistically significant. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed the effect of sociodemographic factors and medical institution factors on the Healthcare Utilization of spinal and joint surgery.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.1-14
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• 1999

The purpose of this study was to estimate the magnitude of patient's actual cost-sharing for hospital services in the National Health Insurance which has been estimated with only a few hospitals or limited number of patients. Also we aimed at analysis of factors influencing the magnitude. Sources of analyzed data were two databases. 1997 medical benefits record of the National Federation of Medical Insurance and 1997 Statistics for Hospital Management from the Korea Institute of Health Services Management(KIHM). We merged two databases and related records for 224 hospitals. based on the identification details of each hospital. The average percent of patients' cost-sharing was 51.7% of total hospital revenues from the insurance. with 40.3% of revenue in inpatient and 67.4% in outpatient. respectively. The contributing hospital factors to the magnitude of cost-sharing were size of hospitals. teaching status. location. number of employed physicians. etc. Larger and university hospital. urban location. and with more physicians were positively correlated with higher level of cost-sharing. Additionally, the higher the expenses of inpatient's treatment was, the higher the size of patient's cost-sharing was. These findings suggest that present level of patients' cost-sharing is quitely high and it is urgent to reduce the patient's cost-sharing to the reasonable level. It would be necessary to extend the coverage of insurance benefits and to develop policies focusing on larger hospitals and inpatient services.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.120-139
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• 1999

The objectives of this study were to examine the utilization patterns of oriental medical care and to discover problems in its delivery. The data for this study were collected from a questionnaire survey mailed out from March 10 to April 9 1999 to 6.346 oriental medical clinic. The questionnaires were then distributed to two patients in each clinics. Of these questionnaires. 670 were completed and returned. The major statistical methods used for the analysis were the t-test. ANOVA, and x$^2$-test. The major findings are as follows: 1. Respondents reported visiting oriental doctors twice as often as they visited western doctors(All those completing the survey received the questionnaire at oriental medical clinics). 2. The number of reported visits to oriental physicians according to among gender, age, marital status, education, income and residence. Males, married respondents, the elderly and the residents of rural areas visited oriental physicians more frequently than females, singles, younger respondents and urbanites. Those people belonging to the middle income class and middle education level also more frequently visited oriental physicians. 3. There are several factors that restrict the utilization of oriental medical care, such as the limitation of the scientific diagnostic instrument use commonplace reliance upon western medical techniques, and the perception of high price for oriental medical care. It is very important to focus oriental medical care onto the fields of acupuncture, circulatory system disease, musculoskeletal system ailments, etc. to improve the utilization of oriental medical care. Other policies for the improvement of oriental medical care include the standardization of price, quality and quantity of oriental medicine.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.126-147
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• 2000

This paper empirically explores the nature of the medical service industry and its various propagation effects on the economy in the input-output model, as revealed by a comparative analysis between Korea and Japan. The main findings of the paper are as follows; First, the growth of medical industry induces above-average effect on employment. Second, the industry is of the characteristics of weak both backward and forward linkage effects implying a 'final demand dependency industry'. When compared with public service sectors, however, the medical services industry shows stronger backward linkage effect than those sectors. Furthermore, it has strong repercussion effects on the goods industries. Third, in order to produce per unit of services, the medical services industry of Korea uses relatively more drugs and medical devices than that of Japan. In general, it has been shown that production structure of medical service industry in Korea is 'hardware-oriented' one; on the other hand, 'software-oriented' in Japan which means that, as intermediate inputs, outsourcing and informatization has been used than those of Korea. From the findings of the paper it could be emphasized that the medical organizations in Korea should put more efforts on shifting the current hardware-oriented production structure to strengthen core competence by enhancing productivity and by outsourcing to improve efficiency of production process. However, the medical organizations in Korea would not have enough incentives for high value-added production structure because they enjoy high operating surplus. Therefore, it would be necessary that government policy should be taken into account of these environments.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.75-98
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• 2000

This study applied Data Envelopment Analysis(DEA) and Ratio Analysis and Regression Analysis to a set of Korean Public Corporation Medical Centers to evaluate their relative human resource efficiencies. The output measure used in this study was based on health insurance system which was used in both in-patient departments and out-patient departments. Inputs included working time of the doctors, nurses, technicians, and managerial department staff. Based on the data provided on the inputs and outputs, the analysis showed 23 of the 34 hospitals to be relatively inefficient. Each hospital with an efficiency rating of less than 1 was considered relatively inefficient. In addition, managerial strategies based on dual variables were constructed to indicate the manner In which inefficient hospitals may be made efficient. A subsequent analysis of t-test revealed that the bed occupancy rate, medical revenue per 100beds, value added revenue per staff, medical revenue per staff were statistically significant. The results of this study suggest the DEA is a promising tool for evaluating relative human resource efficiency in hospitals which have multiple inputs and outputs and where the efficient production function is not specifiable with any precision. But it is considered that efficiency evaluations may be most effective]y accomplished by Incorporating a combination of methodologies such as ratio analysis and regression analysis.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.57-94
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• 2000

Korea's social health insurance system was introduced in 1977, which has made a universal coverage possibly by July 1989. Korean government had pursued a single objective for the last decade to put the whole population under the coverage of medical security, and the objective was achieved within 12 years. The rapid accomplishment is primarily due to such factors as limited benefits, high copayment rate, low contributions as well as rapid economic growth. There are several sources of pressure for the implementation of social health insurance such as health professional group, labor unions, politicians, international organizations etc.. However it is important to look at the feasibility of social health insurance. Among other things, it is necessary to identify the administrative infrastructure of insurance system and to assess income for source of fund. As many developed countries, Korea began to apply health insurance to the employees of the large firms, and the expansion based on employment status. Thus the several funds system was inevitable according to the gradual expansion strategy. However many persons had criticized several funds system in respect with equity and efficiency aspects. In the short history of the Korean health insurance, whether one fund or sever or funds had been the most controversial issue. In Febrary 1999, the National Assembly passed the act of one fund system. From July 2000 separate funds will be unifed under new health insurance scheme. In this study we will analyze the policy making process on implementation, expansion and integration of health insurance system of Korea. And also analyse problems related to policy making.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.67-85
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• 2008

This study evaluated the specialization status of Korean hospitals by applying index measures that were developed to determine how hospitals are specialized. In addition, multivariate regression analysis was applied to assess how the measures responded to the internal and external factors of hospitals. National Health Insurance claims for 2004 were used to calculate the information theory index, internal Herfindahl index, number of distinct diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) treated, and percent of the five most common DRGs. Data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Korean Hospital Association were used to determine the size, ownership, teaching status, organization type, and location of the hospitals. The four indexes analyzed showed that there were significant differences in the specialization status of providers, depending on the provider size, organization type, and location. Hospitals that were smaller and located in metropolitan areas tended to provide specialized services; this is considered to constitute a competitive strategy for hospitals. It is expected that specialized hospitals will increase given the current market structure. Therefore, policy makers will need an index for measuring how hospital services are specialized. Information from such an index could provide a picture of how hospital services are mixed and change over time.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.29-57
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• 2001

Since the inauguration of the medical insurance system in 1977, the increasing medical expenses which can be menace to tile finance of the medical insurance system, have become major concern in the medical insurance field In Korea. This study focuses on the determinants of the medical expenses in the health insurance in Korea and analyzes the impact of these factors on the increase in the medical expenses. The empirical work is done using the pooled cross-section and time-series data of the medical insurance for the self-employeds and the industrial workers from the year 1995 to 1997. The result of this study shows that the main determinants of the medical expenses in the health insurance are the ratio of the population of the aged to the total population, the frequency of the utilization, number of doctors per capita and the regime changes. Although the increasing trend in the medical expenses seems to be unavoidable, we probably need to add some efficiency to the medical expenses by suppressing the supply and the utilization of the unnecessary medical services. The fee-for-service reimbursement system of today can't suppress the supply of the unnecessary medical services effectively. So we need to convert the present fee-for-service system into DRG's which is known to reduce the medical costs. The increase in the medical expenses comes from a lot of factors. Therefore, we should develop more systematic and comprehensive measures to control the soaring medical expenses in consideration of the various factors such as demand, supply, and the organizational side of the medical system.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.109-146
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• 1997

This study explores the feasibility of activating private health insurance in Korea. The rationale for expanding private supplementary health insurance can be found in many cases of health care reforms in the European countries. Private health insurance can not only relieve the financial distress of the government health insurance programs but also offer the medical institutions incentives to improve the quality of medical care. In Korea there is no supplementary health insurance that reimburses for various kinds of diseases based on a well designed fee schedule. Recently, the cancer insurance is the best seller in the health related insurance market. As observed in the U. S. case, the cancer insurance which pays the predetermined amount (indemnity coverage) regardless of the medical charges incurred to the patient is limited in its coverage for the insured. To provide better protection against catastrophic diseases, the government should give insurance companies incentives to develop health insurance products that cover multiple diseases rather than a single disease. Consumers can hardly understand and compare complex insurance products. To resolve the information asymmetries, the government should publish a consumer report that compare various health insurance products in a user friendly way. In the long run, insurance companies will plan to sell health insurance products that charge risk related premium only when insurers accumulate the underwriting know-hows, the government shares data on various health statistics including claims and demographics, and risk pool for high risk patients is well established and subsidized by the government.