• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.4
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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.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.147-158
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• 2006

The purpose of this paper is to review the empirical study results of conversion factors(unit prices) for relative values of health care services in the national health insurance system and establish optimal classification of health care institutions for feasible contract of conversion factors between National Health Insurance Corporation(NHIC) and provider groups, based on legal backgrounds and types of health care service delivery system. some empirical research evidences shows the validity of applying multiple conversion factors to annual contract for reimbursement in the national health insurance. Policy recommendations suggest that clinic, hospital, general hospital, tertiary hospital, dental clinic, oriental medical clinic, pharmacy, and public health centers would be a basic category of provider groups for a meaningful price contract between the NHIC and providers.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.15 no.4
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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.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.277-286
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between the health insurance perception level and health insurance satisfaction for national health insurance subscriber. The collected data were analyzed by $X^2$-test, t-test, ANOVA using the SPSS/WIN (ver.14.0). Research results can be summarized as follows. The relationship between the health insurance perception level and health insurance satisfaction was relatively high. The study showed significantly high levels in the score of health insurance satisfactions according to perception of security level, health insurance premium, positive thinking, and fair in premium charge. Also health insurance satisfaction scores were significantly low levels according to perception of raise health insurance premium and burden on households. This study investigated the relationship between the detail perception and satisfaction for national health insurance. Therefore, we are setting the overall direction of national health insurance perception, and look forward to utilizing the basis data as help to improve the system of health insurance for people.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2017

Moon Jae-in Government announced the Government's 5-Year Plan on July 19, 2017, President Moon directly announced the Government's Plan for Benefit Expansion in National Health Insurance on August 7, 2017. The main contents of the announced expansion include benefit coverage for all medically necessary services with control over non-covered service occurrence, a decrease in the cost-sharing upper limit, and monetary support for catastrophic medical costs. Although past governments have been continuously striving for benefit expansion in the last 15 years, this plan has its breakthrough aspect in that all medical services will be covered by the National Health Insurance. In alignment, there are important tasks to solve: attaining a proper fee schedule, reforming the healthcare delivery system, and improving healthcare quality. This plan is a symptom oriented action in that it is limited in reducing patients' out-of-pocket money, unlike the systematic approach of the National Health Insurance. The sustainability of the National Health Insurance is being threatened due to South Korea's low birth rate, rapidly aging society, and low economic growth, in addition to the unification issue of the Korean Peninsula, medical utilization of the elderly, management of non-communicable diseases, and so on. Therefore, the Government needs to plan the National Health Insurance system reformation including actions addressed toward medical consumers.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.243-261
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• 2006

Priority setting in national health insurances in major advanced countries and the nation was investigated to draw the criteria for priority setting and suggest the most rational criteria for dental insurance so as to help secure the efficiency of medicare financing and individual's health right and also elevate medical consumers' satisfaction with health insurance. 1. Priorities in national health insurance are different from country to country, depending on the medical security systems, priority introducing conditions, and social environment, but have many common factors. 2. The priority setting criteria for national health insurance in those countries include the following in common: the efficiency, equity, and cost effect of treatment, emergency of treatment, consumption of expense, efficacy of treatment, patient's receptiveness, patient's demand, severity of disease, and patient's responsibility for the disease. 3. In oral diseases, severe diseases including oral cavity cancer are low in rate, and in-hospital treatments are few. From the above findings, it is suggested that dental insurance should establish discriminative criteria for priority setting by reflecting the aspects of dental diseases and system difference between dental and other health insurances and taking account of efficiency of treatment through prevention, cost effect, prevalence and incidence of generalized diseases, and individual's financing burden.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.244-260
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• 2007

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to provide lawmakers with basic data for the purpose of establishing a policy on health insurance for packed herbal medicine. Methods : To properly execute an insurance system for packed herbal medicine, we surveyed the following questions from May 1st to June 15th, 2006: (1)the way to pay the insurance benefits (2)specific impression (disease) names as related to insurance (3)the range of insurance coverage. We obtained answers from 304 Korea traditional doctors. Results : 89.4% respondents were agreed on execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine. 93.86% respondents answered that the way to pay insurance benefits and the range of insurance coverage have to be changed properly. Most respondents answered that the coverage should be based on a specific disease being treated, not the current symptoms method which relates to the prescription. The execution of health insurance for packed herbal medicine is expected to increase the number of patients and make the Korean medical system more popular. Conclusion : The findings are expected to make it easier for the general public to get treatment by providing basic data with policy makers that will cover packed herbal medicine in insurance. Also, a proper Korea traditional health insurance program should be set up as soon as possible to widen the choice of medicine for the general public.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.78-97
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• 2009

This study examined the factors related to family caregiver satisfaction with institutional care services for beneficiaries under the Public Long-Term Care Insurance(PLTCI) system. Determining what contributes to family caregiver satisfaction is a critical step toward implementing effective quality improvement strategies. A national cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted from November to December 2008, using proportionate quota sampling based on the location and level of Long-Term Care of the beneficiaries. Total 1,745 family caregivers wrote informed consents and 733 (response rate 42%) completed questionnaires, which included caregiver characteristics, organizational resources, primary objective and subjective stressors, perceived quality of services, and family caregiver satisfaction. Family caregivers were satisfied overall with institutional care. In multiple regression analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in degree of family caregiver satisfaction according to caregiver characteristics(relationship to beneficiary), primary objective stressors (insurance type of beneficiary), perceived quality of services(respect to family caregivers' idea, ADL support, expertness of staff, careful concern of staff, fulfillment of client's requests, and safety of institution's environment). In public long-term care, satisfaction efforts are in an early stage of development. This study is meaningful as the first attempt to measure family caregiver satisfaction with institutional care for beneficiaries under the PLTCI system, and to identify factors affecting the satisfaction. Among the identified factors, the policy makers, the insurer, and the providers need to pay attention to perceived quality of services, in particular, to improve customer satisfaction. Our findings can provide quality care improvement initiatives in the public long-term care setting.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.374-386
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• 2015

This study attempts to examine the impact of a documentary film, on the perception and satisfaction with the public health insurance system in South Korea. It is needed that public support to expand health insurance coverage and to intensify national health insurance. The documentary film investigates health care in the United States, comparing with the non-profit universal health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba. So an online education content for the general education was developed using this film and the surveys were carried out to gather information about perception, satisfaction and opinion on national health insurance system before the lesson and after. And pared t tests were conducted to analyze the effects of this education content using the film on perception and attitudes towards national health insurance system. Based on the empirical results, the way to develop education contents for improving the understanding public health system and to verify the effect of education contents were discussed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.109-124
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• 2009

Background: This study aimed to examine whether cases of punishing false claimants threat general physicians to check their medical cost claims with care to avoid being suspected, and identify empirically general deterrence effects of the on-site investigation system in the Korean National Health Insurance. Methods: 800 clinics were selected among a total of 15,443 clinics that had no experience of on-site investigation until June 2007 using a stratified proportional systematic sampling method. We conducted logistic multiple regression to examine the association between factors related to provider's perception of on-site investigation and high level of perceived deterrence referring to fear of punishment after adjusting provider's service experiences and general characteristics. Results: The probability of high perceived deterrence was higher 1.7 times (CI: 1.13-2.56), 2.73 times (CI: 1.68-4.45) each among clinics exchanging the information once or more per year or once or more for 2-3 months than among clinics no exchanging the information about on-site investigation. Also, the probability of high perceived deterrence was higher 2.27 times (CI: 1.28-4.45) among clinics that knows more than 3 health care institutions having experienced an on-site investigation than among clinics knowing no case. Conclusion: A clinic knowing more punishment cases by onsite investigation and exchanging more frequently information about on-site investigation is likely to present high perceived deterrence. This result will provide important information to enlarge preventive effects of on-site investigation on fraud and abuse claims.