• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제15권4호
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• pp.1-26
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• 2010

We achieved both industrialization and democratization during the shortest period in the world. We also achieved good performance in national health insurance: universal coverage, solidarity in financing, equitable access of health care. However, national health insurance system has faced the problem of sustainability: various expenditure and financing problems. The problem of sustainablity has two facets of economic sustainability and fiscal sustainability. Economic sustainability refers to growth in health spending as a proportion of gross domestic product(GDP). Rapid increasing rate of health spending exceeds the growth rate of domestic product. Growth in health spending is more likely to threaten other areas of economic activity. Concern on fiscal sustainability relates to revenue and expenditure on health care. Health care financing face demographic and technical obstacles. Democratic obstacle is aging problem. Technical obstacle is collection of contribution. Expenditure of health care has various problems in benefit structure and efficiency of health care system. In this article, I suggest several policy reforms to enhance sustainability: generating additional revenue from value added tax, changing method of levying contribution, increasing efficiency of health care system by introducing the competition principle. restructuring of benefit scheme of health insurance. contracting with health care institutions to provide health care services.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제23권4호
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• pp.376-386
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of study is to estimate the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure at the time baby-boomers belong to 65 years old aging population, and compare with current 65 year-old aging population. Methods: Analysis method used an estimating formula devised by the researcher and estimated the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure of each generation. Results: When comparing the estimated number of chronic diseases patients of each generation, 40.6% of the first generation, 76.4% of the second generation, 95.2% of third generation are expected to get chronic disease. When comparing each generation's total medical care expenditure, based on the estimated number of chronic diseases patients of each generation, the second generation( 1,206,251,224 thousand won) showed higher than other generation. This study compared the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure between the second generation of the elderly and current elder generation. As a result, the second generation patients was higher than the fourth generation in high blood pressure, diabetes, psychological and behavioral disorder, and neurological diseases whereas the fourth generation is only high the number of patients in heart disease. As for total medical care expenditure, the second generation paid more in high blood pressure, psychological and behavioral disorder while the fourth generation in neurological disease and heart disease. Conclusion: It is desired that considering the number of chronic disease patients and medical care expenditure of baby boomers accounting for 14.6% of total population, in-depth follow-up study is carried out that inquires into what are issues with a current chronic disease management project, what business is needed in order to manage these issues, and how to fund to cover increasing medical care expenditure.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.303-311
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• 1992

It is very important to estimate the future medical care expenditure, because medical care expenditure escalation is a big problem not only in the health industry but also in the Korean economy today. This study was designed to project the medical care expenditure in view of population age change. The data of this study were the population projection data based on National Census Data(1990) of the National Statistical Office and the Statistical Reports of the Korea Medical Insurance Corporation. The future medical care expenditure was eatimated by the regression model and the optional simulation model. The significant results are as follows : 1. The future medical care expenditure will be 3,963 billion Won in the year 2000, 4,483 billion Won in 2010, and 4,826 billion Won in 2020, based on the 1990 market price considering only the population age change. 2. The proportion of the total medical care expenditure in the elderly over 65 will be 10.4% in 2000, 13.5% in 2010, and 16.9% in 2020. 3. The future medical care expenditure will be 4,306 billion Won in the year 2000, 5,101 billion Won in 2010, and 5,699 billion Won in 2020 based on the 1990 market price considering the age structure change and the change of the case-cost estimated by the regression model. 4. When we consider the age-structure change and inflation compared with the preceding year, the future medical care expenditurein 2020 will be 21 trillion Won based on a 5% inflation rate, 42 trillion Won based on a 7.5% inflation rate, and 84 trillion Won based on a 10% inflation rate. Consideration of the aged(65 years old and over) will be essential to understand the acute increase of medical care expenditure due to changes in age structure of the population. Therefore, alternative policies and programs for the caring of the aged should be further studied.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제16권8호
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• pp.366-375
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• 2016

본 연구는 한국 의료보장제도에 있어서 의료비 부담과 민간의료보험 급여액의 소득계층별 불평등을 평가하고, 가구소득 불평등과의 관계를 확인하는데 목적이 있다. 이를 위해 2014년도 한국의료패널조사 자료를 활용하여, 의료비 부담에 따른 가구소득변화 지니계수를 산출하였다. 주요 분석결과를 살펴보면, 첫째, 우리나라 가구소득 불평등은 소득1분위 평균가구소득이 629만원인 반면, 10분위 소득은 1억 193만원으로 소득분위별 소득금액차이가 매우 컸고, 지니계수가 0.3756으로 불평등 정도가 컸다. 둘째, 가구소득분위별 건강보험과 의료급여 등 공적지원이 이루어지는 외래 입원진료 관련 의료비 부담 지니계수가 0.0761로 나타났으며, 공적제도의 지원이 없는 의료이용을 위한 교통비와 의료용품구입비 등을 모두 포함한 의료비 부담의 지니계수가 0.0878로 나타나서 의료비 부담의 불평등은 공적지원이 있는 부담과 공적지원이 없는 부담 모두 적었다. 가구소득차이와 관계없이 의료비를 부담하고 있는 것이다. 셋째, 가구소득 불평등과 의료비 부담의 관계를 확인하기 위하여 가구소득에서 의료비 부담을 제외하여 지니계수를 산출한 결과 기존 가구소득 지니계수보다 의료비 부담을 제외한 지니계수가 약간씩 증가하였다. 즉, 우리나라 가구의 의료비 부담은 소득계층별로 불평등하여서 가구소득의 불평등을 악화시키데 기여하고 있는 것이다. 이는 건강보험 의료급여와 같은 공적지원이 있는 의료비부담도 동일해서 공적제도가 가구소득 불평등을 약간 악화시켰다. 넷째, 민간의료보험 급여액 지니계수가 0.0927로 나타나서 민간보험 급여액의 불평등은 적었다. 아울러 가구소득과 민간보험급여를 합산하여 산정한 지니계수가 0.3756에서 0.3672로 감소하여서 민간의료보험을 통한 보험금 수입이 가구소득 불평등을 다소 약화시키는 것으로 나타났다.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제14권4호
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• pp.75-87
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to compare the amount of household health expenditures (HHE) and the proportion of health care expenditure to the household expenditure by ability to pay(ATP) levels. This study has focused on the influence of household ATP on HHE, estimating elasticity of health care expenditures for different ATP groups. For the empirical analysis, the Urban Households Survey Data of 2002 have been used. Our principal findings show that HHE are sensitive to changes in household ATP levels and that the group which is most responsive to changes in A TP level is the lower ATP group. These suggest that as households have less ATP, households with lower ATP reduce expenditures on health care in a proportional manner than those with higher ATP.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제18권4호
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• pp.23-48
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• 2008

Although the universal health insurance, National Health Insurance (NHI), have improved access to health care and financial burden of health care costs for Koreans, limited coverage of the NHI leads to high out-of-pocket payment for health care. This study examines financial burden of household health expenditures by income level. Data from the Urban Household Expenditure Survey from 1985 through 2005 is analyzed and household expenditure is used as a proxy measure for income. Health expenditures include spending for inpatient care, ambulatory care and pharmaceuticals. If a household spends health expenditure above 40% of household consumption except for foods, that is defined as catastrophic health expenditure. Access to health care for the lowest income group had been improved for two decades relative to other income groups as well as in absolute term. However, both financial burden of health expenditures and the proportion of households that experienced catastrophic health expenditure had been increased in the lowest income group. Study findings have several policy implications. First, in terms of financial burden of health expenditures. the differences among income groups decreased until 2000 but it was worsen in 2005. This suggests that recent policies for extending NHI coverage are not enough to improve the disparity by income level. Second, a differential catastrophic coverage by income level would be an effective strategy that relieves financial burden for low income group. Third, since the catastrophic coverage is applied to only covered services by the NHI, additional strategy for uncovered services should be considered.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제21권2호
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• pp.159-178
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• 2011

Korea ranks high among the OECD member countries with a high out-of-pocket share. In 2006, the government implemented in full scale the policy of extending the health insurance benefit coverage. Included in the policy are lowering the out-of-pocket share of patients of serious case and expanding the medical bill ceiling system to mention just a few. This study proposes to confirm effectiveness of the benefit extension policy by identifying changes in 'out-of-pocket expenditure as a share of the ability to pay' and 'incidence rate of catastrophic health care expenditure' of each individual household as manifested before and after the benefit extension policy was implemented. The 1st and 3rd year data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS), conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), were used for the analysis, where low-income households and ordinary households are sampled separately. While the absolute amount of 'out-of-pocket expenditure' occurred to the average household increased for the period 2005-2007, the 'out-of-pocket expenditure as a share of the ability to pay' decreased. At the same time, the share decreased in the case of low-income households and households with patients of chronic or serious case as contrasted with ordinary households. 'Incidence rates of catastrophic health care expenditure' of ordinary households for 2007 stood at 14.6%, 5.9% and 2.8% at the threshold of 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively. The rates decreased overall between 2005 and 2007, while those of low-income households with patients of serious case statistically significantly increased. An analysis of this study indicates that it is related with the medical bill ceiling system regardless of incomes introduced in 2007.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.48-65
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• 2003

Detailed analyses of total health expenditure and its sub­categories are essential for the evidence­based health policy(EBHP). These analyses, again, should be based on timely and reliable data that are comparable across countries. The System of Health Accounts (SHA), published by the OECD in 2000, provides an integrated system of comprehensive and internationally comparable accounts. The author has implemented the SHA manual into Korean situation, and examined overall expenditure estimate and its basic functional breakdown following the manual. This study explains how pharmaceutical expenditure is estimated. The results are, then, analyzed particularly from the international perspective. Both administrative data in Statistical Yearbooks (National Health Insurance, Medical Aid, Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance) and survey data on Health and Nutrition are used for the estimation. Per capita pharmaceutical expenditure in Korea (183 US$ PPPs) was far less than the OECD average (308 US$ PPPs) in 2001, but pharmaceutical expenditure share in total health expenditure (20.3％) was higher than the average (16.7％). This can be explained by the fact that there is a statistically significant correlation between pharmaceutical expenditure share and per capita GDP of each country. Korean people follow the tendency of relatively low­income countries to spend less than OECD average for health care, but follow again their tendency to spend more on drugs than on other health care services. In consideration of results and analysis as above, per capita pharmaceutical expenditure in Korea is expected to grow in the future, but the growth rate of the pharmaceutical expenditure is expected to be less than that of overall health expenditure.

• 보건행정학회지
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.37-63
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• 2010

Public expenditures on long-term care are a matter of concern for Korea as in many other countries. The expenditure is expected to accelerate and to put pressure on public budgets, adding to that arising from insufficient retirement schemes and other forms of social spending. This study tried to foresee how much health care spending could increase in the future considering demographic and non-demographic factors as the drivers of expenditure. Previous projections of future long-term expenditure were mainly based on a given relation between spending and age structure. However, although demographic factors will surely put upward pressure on long-term care costs, other non-demographic factors, such as labor cost increase and availability of informal care, should be taken into account as well. Also, the possibility of dynamic link between health status and longevity gains needs to be considered. The model in this study is cell-base and consists of three main parts. The first part estimated the numbers of elderly people with different levels of health status by age group, gender, household type. The second part estimated the levels of long-term care services required, by attaching a probability of receiving long-term care services to each cell using from the sample from current year. The third part of the model estimated long-term care expenditure, along the demographic and non-demographic factors' change in various scenarios. Public spending on long-term care could rise from the current level of 0.2~0.3% of GDP to around 0.44~2.30% by 2040.

• 한국병원경영학회지
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• 제19권4호
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• pp.57-68
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• 2014

Since the introduction of National Health Insurance(NHI) in 1977, it has grown rapidly and contributed to extend patient's access to the health care services. However, limited coverage for health care services of NHI has been ongoing challenge and private health insurance(PHI) has been rising as an alternative source of enhancing coverage and saving out-of-pocket(OOP) expenditure for patients. In this study, after controlling for socio-demographic, economic, health related variables, we identified the patients' healthcare utilization and subsequent OOP expenditure depending on their PHI enrollment and their enrollment types(fixed benefit, indemnity, fixed benefit plus indemnity). Data were collected from the 2010 Korean Health Panel. The unit of analysis was a member of household(n=13,324). Of the 13,324 cases, 70.7% of patients held PHI, in detail, fixed benefit(47.0%), indemnity(3.6%), fixed benefit plus indemnity(20.1%). Major findings showd that patients who enrolled in PHI used more outpatient services(outpatient visit, number of physician visit, number of examination) and spent more OOP expenditure than non-PHI patients. There were also differences of healthcare utilization and OOP expenditure among the types of PHI. In addition, PHI patients used more inpatient services(inpatient use, number of hospitalization, LOS), but there was no significant difference between PHI and non-PHI patients with regard to the OOP expenditure. Thus, we could not find any distinct relationship between the types of PHI and patients' tertiary hospital use. Policy-makers should need careful political deliberation for monitoring the effect of PHI on health care utilization and subsequent expenditure not only to improve patients' coverage but also to save their OOP expenditures.