• Health Policy and Management
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.228-241
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• 2014

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of health insurance coverage expansion for cancer patients on equity in health care utilization and catastrophic expenditure. Methods: To analyze the causal relationship between the policy to expand benefit coverage and the change in health care utilization and out-of-pocket payments of cancer patients, this study employed a difference-in-differences (DID) method. In the DID model, the change in health care utilization, such as health care expenditure, visit days and length of stay, of cancer patients was compared with that of liver disease patients, using Korea Health Panel Data in 2009 and 2010. Results: The policy of reducing cost sharing from 10% to 5% for cancer patients did not have significant effects on equity in health care utilization. The results of this study were different from those of the previous study that showed that the reduction of cost sharing from 20% to 10% significantly improved the equity in health care utilization of cancer patients. In addition, the result of catastrophic expenditures analysis showed the policy did not change the probability of catastrophic expenditures. Conclusion: The results of this study imply that payment for non-covered services account for high out-of-pocket payments, and the reduction in cost sharing for covered services alone may have a limited effect on total financial burden on patients.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• 제40권4호
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• pp.329-335
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• 2007

Objectives : To identify the effects of supplemental private health insurance on health care utilization and expenditure under the mandatory National Health Insurance(NHI) system in Korea. Methods : The data were collected by the National Cancer Center in Korea. Cancer patients who were newly diagnosed with stomach (ICD code, C16), lung(C33-C34), liver (C22), colorectal cancer(C18-C20) or breast(C50) cancer were included as study subjects. Data were gathered using a structured questionnaire from face-to-face interviews, the hospital Order Communication System (OCS) and medical records. Clinical, socio-demographic and private health insurance related factors were also gathered. The differences of health care utilization and expenditure were compared between those who have private health insurance and those who do not using t-test and multivariable regression analysis. Results : Individuals with private health insurance spent larger inpatient costs than those without, but no differences were found in utilization in other service such as hospital admissions, hospital days and physician visits. Conclusions : We found that private health insurance exerts a significant effect on the health care expenditure in inpatient service. These study results can provide a rational basis to plan a national health policy regarding private health insurance. Further studies are needed to investigate the impacts of private health insurance on cancer patients' outcomes and survival rates.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.257-289
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• 2002

In this study we analyse how the tobacco prices have an effect on the national health. The level of tobacco price will fluctuate its consumers demand and eventually affect the national health status. We estimate tobacco consumption function as well as households'demand system in which tobacco and health expenditure functions are included. Demand elasticities are estimated and evaluated in order to find future policies to improve the national health by controlling the national tobacco consumption There are two econometric approaches app1ied in this study. The lent tobacco demand analysis method is mm tobacco consumption function model. Using national indices of tobacco price, tobacco consumption and other related variables, tobacco consumption function is estimated. The other is micro demand system analysis by using Korean urban households expenditure data during the period of 1991 to 1999. The own price elasticity which is estimated from national tobacco demand per capita is -0.19 for all people and -0.176 for the adults over 18, which means 100% price increase will cause decease of tobacco demand at 19% and 17.6% per each The cross vice elasticity which is estimated between tobacco and health expenditure of urban households demand system is -0.2328, which implies 100% of tobacco price increase will decrease 23.28% of health expenditure. The low price elasticities imply that tobacco price increase will increase total tobacco sales volume. 100% of tobacco price increase will bring about 79% increase of total tobacco sales volume according to our scenario. Korea's tobacco demand is negatively responsive to fluctuations in its price. The health expenditure is also negatively relatedto the tobacco price fluctuation. These empirical outputs could be utilized as the basis of government's tax policy to control national tobacco consumption in the future.

• Health Policy and Management
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.49-76
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• 1994

Small area variations in health care utilization have long been studied as an important issue related to boto cost containment and quality assurance. This study was conducted to investigate if variations in hospital services across small geographic areas in Korea existed. The claims data of the fiscal year 1992 obtained from the regional health insurance societies were used for the study. Main findings of the research can be summarized as follows : 1. Extremal Quotients(EQ) of hospital expenditure per capita and hospital days per capita varied among diagnosis types. The EQ ranged from 2.05(cataract) to 41.67(pneumonia) in hospital expenditure per capita and from 1.86(cataract) to 45.89(pneumonia) in hospital days per capita. The diagnosis groups which showed high variation were pneumonia, cephalo-pelvic disproportion, gastritis and duodenitis, fracture of rib, and acute bronchitis. Those which showed low variation were acute appendicitis and cataract. 2. The EQ level of admission rate was different in terms of diagnosis types, ranging from 2.57(catarct) to 44.45(pneumonia). The variations were high in medical disorders such as pneumonia, oephalo-pelvic disproportion, gastritis and duodenitis and acute bronchitis, while relatively low in surgical conditions such as acute appendicitis and cataract. 3. As an indicator of service intensity, the EQ of expenditure per admission ranged from 1.67(acute appendicitis) to 31.27(essential hypertension). The diagnoses which had high variation were essential hypertension, gastric ulcer, whereas those which had low variation were cephalopelvic disproportion and acute appendicitis. With regard to hospital days per admission, the EQ ranged from 1.55(acute appendicitis) to 28.13(gastric ulcer) by diagnosis types. The diagnosis groups with showed high variation were gastric ulcer, essential hypertension, and acute bronchitis, whereas those with low variation were cephalo-pelvic disproportion, intervertebral disc disorders, and acute appendicitis. Both the expenditure and hospital days per admission showed lewwer variations than the expenditure per capita, hospital days per capita and admission rate. 4. Comparing patterns of variation in utilization indices, diagnoses such as essential hypertension, gastric ulcer, fracture of rib showed higher variations in expenditure per admission than in admission rates, whereas diagnoses such as pneumonia, cephalo-pelvic disproportion and gastric ulcer showed higher variations in admission rate than expenditure per admission. These findings suggest that wide variations existed in several diagnoses groups across small areas in Korea. Further research should be performed to investigate factors related to small area variations including provider behavior.

• Health Policy and Management
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.35-46
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• 2014

Background: This paper describes the relationship and effect of health examination on personal medical cost by identifying the difference of the cost for medical care in physician visit between the population without and with health examination. Methods: After classifying into three cohorts in which, independent variables were designed according to the Andersen's behavioral model, the association of personal medical cost for medical care and prescription drugs which is dependent variable was analyzed by t-test and Mann-Whitney test for description and gamma regression model for inference. Results: In personal average medical cost, the population with health examination paid significantly more than without health examination, 11.6% more in cohort 2008, 26.6% more in cohort 2009, and 48.0% more in combined cohort. The odds ratio on medical expenditure of outpatients with health examination was 1.067, 1.126, 1.398 significantly in cohort 2008, 2009, and combined cohort respectively, comparing to the group without health examination. In independent variables, that is female, the elderly, never married, non-working, non-metropolitan, the higher family income, the smaller family size, people with disability, the people with chronic disease, and people with health examination have significantly being paid more tendency showing positive association with medical cost. Conclusion: This result showed that medical expenditure in physician visit has been increased after taking a health examination. Therefore reasonable limitation of getting preventive medical service is suggested to avoid medical shopping around and reduce being repeated health examination by unifying control to find out easily the clinical results from various medical facilities.

• Health Policy and Management
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• 제22권2호
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• pp.275-296
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• 2012

Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University The national health insurance system in Korea is characterized as relatively high out-of-pocket payments, which are the principal source of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). The objectives of this study are to estimate the incidence of household CHE and to clarify the characteristics that affect the occurrence and recurrence of household CHE using the Seoul Welfare Panel Survey database for 2008 and 2010. Thresholds to estimate CHE were 10% and 20% of the total household income (T/X), and 25% and 40% of the income excluding food share (T/Y). Determinants of the occurrence and recurrence of CHE at the threshold of T/X=10% were analysed using multiple logistic regression models. Out of the 3,665 households that responded in 2008 survey, households with CHE were 12.07% (T/X${\geq}$10%), 5.34% (T/X${\geq}$20%), 6.84% (T/Y${\geq}$25%), and 4.44% (T/Y${\geq}$40%). Risk factors associated with household CHE included living with a spouse, non-Medicaid beneficiary, householder unemployment, low household income, the number of disabled members, poor subjective health, and the number of chronic diseases. A total of 41.78% of households with CHE in 2008 repeatedly experienced CHE in 2010. Risk factors of CHE recurrence included decreased household income and an increase in chronic diseases over the two time periods, the number of members with disability or chronic diseases, and the presence of cancer patients in 2008. Households with lower socioeconomic and health status had a higher financial burden on health care than do their counterpart households. There is a need to enhance society-wide financial protection from health spending among vulnerable citizens in Seoul, particularly, households with low income, disabled members or cancer patients.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• 제4권4호
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• pp.187-199
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• 2018

In this study, only 2,877 men, 2,614 men (44.6%), and 143 women (2.3%) were selected as the subjects who were over 18 years old in response to the health consciousness of the Korean medical panel data in 2012. Emergency of smokers through medical use and medical expenditure data by smoking. The social costs were estimated through medical expenses according to the number of hospitalization and outpatient medical use. The social cost was calculated by summing the social expenditure on health care costs, insurer (corporation) costs, copayment, non - salary, and productivity costs by adopting the social perspective established by the health economist Rice (1968). The rate of annual emergency medical use by smoking status is 7.5% for smokers per 100 people, 9.8 times for use, and 809,003 won for social expenses. The annual rate of hospitalization per 100,000 population by smoking status was 9.6% for smokers per 100 population, 9 times for use, The social cost is 706,870 won. Annual smoking rate by smoking status was 68.6% for smoking, 9 cases for annual medical use,

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.21-28
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• 2008

The purposes of this study are to quantify energy expenditure by measuring oxygen consumption while performing occupational therapy activities most commonly used for adult hemiplegia patients, to recommend a optimal dosage of exercise by comparing energy expenditure according to the recovery stage, and to suggest a precaution in the treatment of patients with cardiac disorders. According to Brunnstrom recovery stages in hand function, subjects were allocated to group I(3rd and 4th Brunnstrom recovery stages) and group II(5th and 6th Brunnstrom recovery stages). Outcome measures included oxygen consumption, energy expenditure rate, and heart rate during each activity and in recovery period after the activity. Occupational activities including sanding activity, putty activity, and skateboard activity were carried out for all patients. In sanding and putty activities, there were significant differences of oxygen consumption and energy expenditure during the activity between groupⅠandⅡ(p<0.05), but there were not significant differences of oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rate in the recovery period(p>0.05). In skateboard activity, there were no significant differences in oxygen consumption, energy expenditure and heart rates between the two groups during the activity and in the recovery period(p>0.05). The findings indicates that cardiovascular demands for basic activities usually peformed for a treatment may be depended on the physical recovery of patients with hemiplegia. Therefore, therapeutic activities for patients should be selected with the great care.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.78-88
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• 1990

The subject of this study is to review the practical approaches of Home Care Services. Included is a brief overview of its nature, providers of Home Care Services, recent history of Home Care Services, and the impact of the national movement toward cost containment in health care. The data used in this study are obtained from the Elderly Program of the Medical Services and other data on the Home Care Services in Japan. With the growing elderly population in Japan, it is to be expected that the medical care expenditure for this sector will continue to increase. With the aim of keeping expenditure for medical care within reasonable bounds, it is essential that this increasing expenditure on the elderly be used effectively. With the Health and Medical Services Law for the Aged was enforced, therefore, remuneration for medical treatment of the elderly and what is known as the staff placement standard at hospital for the elderly were rationalized. In addition to rationalization from the point of view of medical care supply, it is necessary to guarantee the appropriate treatment within the community and at home for those elderly who are bedridden but not in need of hospital care. For this it is required that Home Care Services, such as health services like visiting guidance by public health nurse in hospital of Health Center. So that the elderly can feel secure in receiving treatment within the community and at home, allowances for guidance on leaving hospital and for intermittent nursing and guidance thereafter are to be newly introduced. Home care Services in one aspect of comprehensive health care, it is comprised of health services provided to individuals and families in their homes. Its purposes include promoting, maintaining and restoring health, specifically maximazing independent functioning and minimizing the disabling effects of illness, including terminal illness. Services appropriate to the needs of clients and their families are planned, coordinated, and delivered by providers organized for the delivery of home health care through the use of contractual arrangement, employed staff, or a combination of the two.

• Health Policy and Management
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• 제28권2호
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• pp.186-193
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• 2018

Background: The aim of our study was to review the findings of health insurance fraud investigations and to evaluate their impacts on medical costs for target and non-target organizations. An interrupted time series study design using generalized estimation equations was used to evaluate changes in cost following fraud investigations. Methods: We used National Health Insurance claims data from 2009 to 2015, which included 20,625 medical institutions (1,614 target organizations and 19,011 non-target organizations). Outcome variable included cost change after fraud investigation. Results: Following the initiation of fraud investigations, we found statistically significant reductions in cost level for target organizations (-1.40%, p<0.001). In addition, a reduction in cost trend change per month was found for both target organizations and non-target organizations after fraud investigation (target organizations, -0.33%; non-target organizations of same region, -0.19%; non-target organizations of other regions, -0.17%). Conclusion: This study suggested that fraud investigations are associated with cost reduction in target organization. We also found similar effects of fraud investigations on health expenditure for non-target organizations located in the same region and in different regions. Our finding suggests that fraud investigations are important in controlling the growth of health expenditure. To maximize the effects of fraud investigation on the growth of health expenditure, more organizations needed to be considered as target organizations.