• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.185-209
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• 2014

While the local health insurance and the employment-based insurance were integrated in July 2000, the insured is divided into employment-based insured and the local insured and the relevant premium has been applied to both groups. The health insurance premium having the feature of social solidarity has to be determined depending on income, that is, the ability to pay in accordance with the principles of social insurance. While employment-based insurance premium has been determined depending on the earned income, the local insurance premium for the local insured has been determined by scoring gross income(evaluated income), property and possession of automobiles. A variety of improvement approaches has been implemented including introduction of the employment-based insurance premium ceiling system (2002) and the change of property scoring system for the local insured (2006). However, the health insurance system which was merged in 2000 has been implemented up to now without significant change even though there were lots of socio-demographic change including increase of income level and the population structure such as low birth and aging. In other words, it is required to implement the premium rating system securing the income-based equity. Nevertheless, it was inevitable to apply the diverse rating standards in the early stage because it was very difficult to verify the income of the self-employed. Although the income verification rate was significantly increased from 23% in 1989 to 44% in 2010, the irrational standards including property, automobiles, living standard and activity rate have been still applied to the local insured because it is difficult to secure the validity of insurance premium rating system and it severely lacks of security. This paper investigated whether the current insurance premium rating system for the local insured imposing the premium on the basis of 'gender' and 'age' complies with the basic human rights secured by the current Constitution of the Republic of Korea with respect to the practical and theoretic irrationality of insurance premium rating system and standards for he local insured. In accordance with the analysis results, this paper proposed the approach to improve the system.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.104-127
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• 2010

To vitalize the link program of Korean long-term care insurance system to community-based services for non-eligible people, we analysed the claim data from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC), and conducted a questionnaire survey to charging employees of elderly service department at local governments. The subjects were all 81,377 people, 57,454 of them were arranged to community-based services. The link program was more necessary among the missed subjects rather than the arranged people due to the need for physical or psychological assistance. By the result of the survey to the local government employees, 59.5% of subjects responded their proportion of link service was over 10% and under 20%, and 54.3% of them responded their job boundary are not clear. Major type of linking was notification the subject list to local government, 91.4%; proportion of periodical notification on the status of their service link were 57.1%, only 7.1% were followed to manage after the link. Difficult factors at the link process were pointed out the overload by other side work, deficiency of resources, rigidity of priority of link, and so on. Considering these results, to vitalize the community-based services to the non-eligible people, it may be essential the active participation of the subjects, construction of parts working in coordination among the institutions including NHIC, local governments, and service providers; development of various services for maintenance or promotion of the non-eligible peoples' health and functional status; and active participation of institutions from the third sector, and so on.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.137-177
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• 2007

The medical expenses review system in Korea has developed under fee-for-service system with its own unique structure. The importance of reviewing medical expenses has been emphasized, as the size of medical expenditures moving through the health insurance legal context and its weight in the national economy have increased very rapidly. It is, however, analyzed that the feuds and arguments continue among the stakeholders for the lack of laws supporting the medical expenses review system. The medical expenses review is a series of administrative procedures, deciding whether claims from medical care institutions to the insurer are legal and valid or not. It mainly controls the increase of unnecessarily excessive health insurance claim and prevents fraudulent claim and abuse and checks the less use or unsuitable use of medical resources. It also works a function guarantees medical benefits for the appropriate treatment according to the object of health insurance system as a social insurance scheme. The dispute on legal base of the medical expenses review is about the source of law in the medical expenses review. There are the Health Insurance Act and administrative laws as jus scriptum and the guidelines of review as administrative orders. The medical expenses review should reflect various factors, such as the development of medical healthcare technologies, the health expenditures distribution, the financial situation of the health insurance, and the evaluation on the level of appropriate benefits. It is also likely to adapt to the traits of characters of medicine, and trends and transition, Besides it should judge the legality and the validity of medical benefits expenditures by synthesizing these all factors. And the evaluation system of appropriateness of medical benefits was administrative procedure which was consecutive with reviewing the medical expenses system and it was intended to make up for the result of reviewing the medical expenses in more comprehensive levels.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.379-388
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• 2023

This study aims to propose the implementation of innovative payment models in Korea in order to promote the financial sustainability of the national health insurance system by reviewing the current status of the payment system in Korea and examining other countries' experiences with various innovative payment models. Korea primarily uses a fee-for-service payment system and additionally uses various payment systems such as case payment, per diem, and pay-for-performance. However, each payment system has its limitations. Many OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries have pointed out the limitations of existing payment systems and have been attempting various innovative payment models (e.g., add-on payment, bundled payment, and population-based payment). Therefore, it is essential for Korea to consider innovative payment models, such as a mixed payment model that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of each payment system, and to design and pilot these models. This process requires stakeholders to work together to build a social consensus on the implementation of innovative payment systems and to refine legal and systematic aspects, develop an integrated health information system, and establish dedicated organizations and committees. These efforts towards innovative payment models will contribute to developing a sustainable health insurance system that ensures the public's health and well-being in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-233
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• 1999

This study is an effort to make policy suggestions by analysing the current health examination program as a benefit service provided by the national health insurance system, including health screening for the insured, screening of cancer and chronic diseases for their dependents. Analyses found some issues being gave attention to; 1) The insured under the community health insurance system do not get the health examination benefit. A program for them should be set to have equity in benefit services. 2) Low rates of using screen services compromise purpose and the efficiency the services have first intended to. An immediate attention should be made to increase low rate of use of screen test to detect chronic diseases in particular. 3) Selection of diseases and test items covered by health examination program does not reflect the need of the insured, but to reflect financial resources of the national health insurance system. 4) Lack of health screening facilities and their geographical maldistribution is observed, which with preference of a general hospital as a screening post by the insured may lead to unreliable test. 5) A follow-up system should have been developed for the suspected classified by test results of carrying chronic diseases. They should be cared for within the health examination program. Public health care systems incorporate such a system, along with caring for those who are in need of having a health counselling on preventive care. In conclusion, the national health insurance system should be a medical insurance of giving a higher priority on preventive care benefits, health examination program in particular. That could be done by making rearrangements of test items, screening methods and system, rationalizing current reimbursement system of service fee, increasing accessibility to and utilization of the services, and making an establishment of follow-up system.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.71-84
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• 2014

Background: Informal care is increasingly recognized as placing a significant burden on the lives of family caregivers. The purpose of this study is to investigate factors related to family caregivers' burden with the community-dwelling disabled elderly under the long-term care insurance system, using the Stress Process Model developed by Pearlin (1990). Methods: Total 1,233 family caregivers with the disabled elderly, using the long-term care services in their home from May to June 2009, completed questionnaires finally. The questionnaire of this study consists of a total of 32 questions, including 11 questions related to background and context, 17 questions related to objective stressors, and 4 questions related to coping resourses. Family caregivers' burden is measured by the Korean Revised Caregiving Appraisal Scale (K-RCAS, Cronbach's alpha=0.86). To investigate factors related to family caregivers' burden, multiple regression analysis was conducted. Results: The average score of caregivers' burden was 22.0 (${\pm}6.12$). In multiple regression analysis, there were statistically significant factors affecting on the family caregivers' burden, that are related to background and context (region, living status, education level, relationship with beneficiary), objective stressors (duration of caregiving), coping resourses (caregiver's health status). Conclusion: This study found that family caregivers experience a considerable burden. The findings suggest that policies must be taken to relieve family caregivers of their duties temporarily, and to support them with counselling and education.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
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• v.24
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• pp.21-25
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• 2005

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.148-155
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• 2012

Since the reformation of the National Health Insurance Act in 2000, the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA) in the Republic of Korea has performed quality assessments for healthcare providers. The HIRA Value Incentive Program (VIP), established in July 2007, provides incentives for excellent-quality institutions and disincentives for poorquality ones. The program is implemented based on data collected between July 2007 and December 2009. The goal of the VIP is to improve the overall quality of care and decrease the quality gaps among healthcare institutions. Thus far, the VIP has targeted acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and Caesarian section (C-section) care. The incentives and disincentives awarded to the hospitals by their composite quality scores of the AMI and C-section scores. The results of the VIP showed continuous and marked improvement in the composite quality scores of the AMI and C-section measures between 2007 and 2010. With the demonstrated success of the VIP project, the Ministry of Health and Welfare expanded the program in 2011 to include general hospitals. The HIRA VIP was deemed applicable to the Korean healthcare system, but before it can be expanded further, the program must overcome several major concerns, as follows: inclusion of resource use measures, rigorous evaluation of impact, application of the VIP to the changing payment system, and expansion of the VIP to primary care clinics.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.219-268
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• 2006

In July 1989, Korea had achieved the national medical insurance system comprehensively covering the whole population since its inception of 12 years before, and subsequently the plural medical insurers had integrated to the unique health insurer system in July 2000. But there yet remain some problems to be improved under low contributions rates and poor benefit packages, especially the shortage of assuring beneficiaries' rights. The Health Insurance Appeal System is composed of a two-tiered system of committee. The Formal Objection Committees built in the National Health Insurance Corporation and in the Health Insurance Review Agency respectively examine the formal objections to the decisions of the Corporation, or the Review Agency. And the Dispute Mediation Committee built under the command of the Minister of Health and Welfare reviews the protests against the decisions on the formal objections by each Formal Objection Committee. To cope with the appellant in relation to the administration on the qualification of the insureds, contributions, and insurance benefits etc, is found to be unsatisfactory. There's the reason of poor function on right-relief caused by the loose composition of the Appeal Committee, the deficit of people's recognition and P.R., the lack of professional manpower and the Committee's independency, and time lag in making decisions and so on. Consequently the Appeal System should be improved to secure the rights-relief function, to empower the professionalism of the Appeal Committee, to strengthen P.R. for the beneficiaries, to build up the staff's proficiency through training, and to develop the quality of administrative services.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.501-501
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• 2005