• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.95-120
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure of cost-sharing for oriental medical services in the national health insurance. Out-of-pocket payment in ambulatory oriental medical care is a co-payment of KRW3,000 up to total expenses of KRW15,000, and co-insurance rate of 30% thereafetr. The empirical analysis based on medial claims data shows that the frequency of medical claims for outpatient care are mostly concentrated just below a total expenses of KRW15,000, and it decreases beyond a total expense of KRW15,000, while it rebounds between KRW17,000${\sim}$20,000. This means the current co-payment(KRW3,000) in oriental medical services should be applied up to a total payment of KRW17,000${\sim}$20,000, or the level of co-payment should be adjusted upward to KRW45,000 in order to be consistent in cost-sharing, between co-payment and co-insurance.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-27
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• 2007

This study is designed to estimate an appropriate level of patient's cost-sharing for oriental medical services in the Korean National Health Insurance. The findings of this study can be summarized as follows: 1) The current co-payment system for oriental medical services does not reflect its cost structure in clinical practice due to inconsistency of cost-sharing plan in the NHI. 2) Both oriental medical institutions and their patients, as a result, are at a relative disadvantage in financial burden, compared with other services. 3) The substantial proportion of patients' cost-sharing depends on the amount of co-payment and the range of medical cost that a flat rate is applied to. 4) The extension of the range doesn't make any substantial decrease in patient's cost-sharing. 5) The fixed amount of co-payment is more sensitive than a range to total variations of patient's cost-sharing. Based on the above, the budget impacts of a new co-payment system were estimated for each co-insurance rate, according to given scenarios. The results range from -59 billion Won (-8.5%) to 16 billion Won(2.3%).

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.59-66
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• 2018

Recently, the use of mobile payment, called "Pay" payment, is increasing such as 'KakaoPay' and 'SamsungPay'. In Korea, various mobile payment services are running and emerging. The purpose of this study is to examine the intention to switch from using existing credit cards or check card to mobile payment service based on the two-factor theory. We empirically examined the effect of the two factors, the factors that enable switching and the factors that inhibit switching. Therefore, the study use switching cost and switching benefit as parameters to confirm the effect on the switching intention. In addition, this study intends to analyze the differences between two subgroups by the degree of personal innovativeness. We survey smartphone users and credit card or check card users, and analyzed the Smart PLS 3.0 using structural equation model to verify the significance of the research hypothesis.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.451-465
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• 2012

In order to strengthen assurance of National Health Insurance, co-payment should be reduced. This can happen with collaborative efforts of patients, medical institutes, and government altogether at the same time. This research applied Dutton(1986)'s medical service research model with high R-square, and analyzed 2008 Korea Health Panel Data (Beta Version 1), that was examined by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance, in order to figure out influential variables on co-payment. In result of Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, R-square was 46.7%, the older the age, the patients who had surgery, the longer days of hospital treatment are, the higher gross income of a household is, the more hospitalized in upper grade general hospitals, and the more upper grade rooms and selecting a doctor are used. The results have statistical significance. When conducting research applying medical service research model, there is a need to apply Dutton(1986)'s medical service research model with high R-square. In order to strengthen assurance of National Health Insurance, first conditions should be that patients are hospitalized in upper grade general hospital, and at the same time, are patients who had surgery with long stay of hospitalization. In addition, if proven that patients used upper grade rooms and selecting a doctor due to lack of regular treatment and rooms, for certain number of days of such hospitalization, it is suggested to be provided with health care insurance in upper grade rooms and selecting a doctor in calculating co-payment limit.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2017

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate family caregivers' opinions about out-of-pocket payment for long-term care (LTC) facilities, and find the differences in the opinions for family caregivers of all different levels of income. Methods: We used the data of the study on out-of-pocket payment in national long-term care insurance, including 1,552 family caregivers with the elderly in long-term care facilities. Results: The average out-of-pocket payment per month was 511,635 Korean won and distributed from 230,750 to 1,365,570 Korean won. The amount of out-of-pocket payment might be affected by not co-payment but the cost of non-covered service. There were differences in them for family caregivers of all different levels of income. Opinions were surveyed about 5 issues. By levels of income, there were differences in their opinions about 3 issues, the financial burden on LTC, the necessity of reducing out-of-pocket payments, and to be willing to pay more for a high quality service. But there were not different opinions about the interruption of LTC service and staying with LTC facilities. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the range of out-of-pocket payment for LTC facility is wide and it can be a burden to lower income group. It should be to prepare the policies to ease the financial burden and support the appropriate LTC use.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2010

Objectives: In Korea, the top 10% of Medical Aid recipients represent nearly 60% of total payment, with the costs for those disabled for over 365 days representing approximately 30% of total payment. The purpose of this study was to compare Medical Aid use of the disabled with non-disabled recipients, and to identify contributing factors to the total payment in the top 2% of recipients identified as Medical Aid overusers. Methods: Subjects (n=2,211) selected were ${\geq}18$-years-of-age and received >1000 days of co-payment-free type I Medical Aid. Case managers (n=200) conducted interviews in December 2006, and collected data from Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service. Amounts over the 9 months from January September 2006 were analyzed descriptively and using Chi-square, ANCOVA, and robust multiple linear regression. Results: Disabled individuals (mean age 61.3 years) composed 36.6% of subjects; 44.8% of the disabled were male. On a monthly basis per capita, the disabled group averaged 10.5 outpatient days, total payment of 523,000 Korean Won(￦), inpatient payment of ￦359,000, and outpatient payment of ￦183,000. All values exceeded the monthly average for non-disabled individuals. Contributing factors were identified as male gender (￦82,000), elementary school or lower educational level (￦64,000), residence in a small city (￦82,000), lack of family support (￦61,000), kidney disability (￦673,000), intellectual disability (￦151,000), and multiple disabilities (￦119,000). Conclusions: The identification of contributing factors to Medical Aid use by those defined as disabled supports the adoption of comprehensive alternative policies such as strengthening of education and consultation services, provision of alternative facilities, and promotion of self-care.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2020

Objective: The Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is a national drug subsidy program. Given the similarity and comprehensiveness of the Australian PBS and the Korean National Health Insurance (NHI) data, these data are increasingly used for pharmacoepidemiological investigations, as well as international comparative studies. This study aims to introduce the various sources of publicly available PBS data and provide a practical guide to researchers conducting drug utilization studies. Methods: We searched literature and websites to detail and compare the collection, structure, components, and characteristics of each PBS data format. We identified different characteristics of the PBS data from the Korean NHI claims data which are mainly owing to their unique co-payment policies and data collection processes. In addition, the utilization and expenditure of atorvastatin, a widely used treatment for hyperlipidemia, were analyzed using two different sources of PBS data and the different results were interpreted. Results: There exist differences in when data were collected or non-subsidized uses of medicine were included among sources of PBS data. Additionally, two countries have different cost sharing methods inmedicine subsidy scheme; co-payment in Australia and co-insurance in Korea. Therefore, it should be noted that prescriptions under co-payment are not included in some data sources in Australia. Conclusion: Despite several analytical challenges, open access and easy data management are the strengths of the PBS data sources. A detailed knowledge of the PBS data can ensure robust methodology and interpretation of pharmacoepidemiological investigations or international comparative studies.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.37-47
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the effect of adjusted out-of-pocket maximum rules in the 'differential co-payment ceiling', which means having a higher burden of co-payment, that expanded to the entire ceiling level in long-stay admission patients in long-term care hospitals(LTCH). Methodology: We used health insurance claim data between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022 received from the National Health Insurance Service. The study populations were inpatients in long-term care hospitals more than 1 days during the study period. We performed the difference in characteristics of the LTCH patient of the differential and general ceiling by the chi-square test. We estimated the change of the population, cost, and co-payments per person under the assumption of restructuring. Finding: Based on adjusted out-of-pocket maximum rules in 2023, it was expected that the number of benefits decreases at the high-income level while increasing at the low-income level. The burden of health expenditure after reimbursement of co-payment ceiling, is expected to increase by 65.1% in the highest medical necessity, whereas the low medical necessity would decreases compared to 2022. Practical Implications: The results demonstrate that the current out-of-pocket maximum rules do not reflect the needs of medical necessity. This study suggested the need to reflect the medical necessity in LTCH on the out-of-pocket maximum rules in the future.

• The Journal of Society for e-Business Studies
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.79-94
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• 1997

Commerce activities which are free form space and time constraint using a communication network are called Electronic Commerce(EC). Because of sending a commercial information using open network such as Internet in EC, they need the security of commerce information (payment information and purchase information), checking the integrity of transferring data and certifying all parts participated in commerce for a secure commerce. Recently Visa and MasterCard Co. released the Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) Protocol for secure payment card transaction on Internet. This paper proposes a Secure Electronic Commerce Transaction Model(SECTM) using SET in order to support the secure commerce on Internet. The proposed transaction model prevents merchant from abusing the cardholder's payment information (credit-card number etc.) and enables cardholder to shop securely in Electronic Shopping Mall.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.4 s.28
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• pp.542-554
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• 1989

The skyrocketing inflation of medical costs has become a major health problem among most developed countries. Korea, which recently covered the entire population with National Health Insurance, is facing the same problem. The proportion of health expenditure to GNP has increased from 3% to 4.8% during the last decade. This was remarkable, if we consider the rapid economic growth during that time. A few policy analysts began to raise cost containment as an agenda, after recognizing the importance of medical cost inflation. In order to Prepare an appropriate alternative for the agenda, it is necessary to find out reasons for the cost inflation. Then, we should focus on the reasons which are controllable, and those whose control are socially desirable. This study is designed to articulate the theory of medical cost inflation through literature reviews, to find out reasons for cost inflation, by analyzing aggregated data with a deterministic model. Finally to identify determinants of changes in both medical demand and service intensity which are major reasons for cost inflation. The reasons for cost inflation are classified into cost push inflation and demand pull inflation, The former consists of increases in price and intensity of services, while the latter is made of consumer derived demand and supplier induced demand. We used a time series (1983-1987), and cross sectional (over regions) data of health insurance. The deterministic model reveals, that an increase in service intensity is a major cause of inflation in the case of inpatient care, while, more utilization, is a primary attribute in the case of physician visits. Multiple regression analysis shows that an increase in hospital beds is a leading explanatory variable for the increase in hospital care. It also reveals, that an introduction of a deductible clause, an increase in hospital beds and degree of urbanization, are statistically significant variables explaining physician visits. The results are consistent with the existing theory, The magnitude of service intensity is influenced by the level of co-payment, the proportion of old age and an increase in co-payment. In short, an increase in co-payment reduced the utilization, but it induced more intensities or services. We can conclude that the strict fee regulation or increase in the level of co-payment can not be an effective measure for cost containment under the fee for service system. Because the provider can react against the regulation by inducing more services.