• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.351-361
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to analyze the effects of tele-care case management services using secondary data. Methods: A descriptive research design was utilized, and the participants were 134 medical aid beneficiaries who were in either the high-risk group or the preventive group. Casemanagement services were delivered by 8 care managers. Data were analyzed using PAWS Statistics 17 through descriptive statistics and paired t-test. Results: After the case management intervention, the participants' health quality of life, self-care competency, and reasonable medical care utilization increased significantly for the high-risk group. However there were no significant changes in the preventive group. Conclusion: The results showed that the tele-care case management services were effective for high-risk medical aid beneficiaries. Further studies with controls for constitutional variables and a comparison group are required to validate the robustness of the effectiveness of the case management program in the present study.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an eight session integrated case management program for improvement of medication adherence, physical function, pain, and depression among medical aid beneficiaries with osteoarthritis. Method: A nonequivalent control group pre-posttest design was employed. Participants were 55 medical aid beneficiaries who agreed to participate in this study, and were assigned to an experimental group (n=28) or control group (n=27). The framework of this research derived from Cox's Interaction Model of Client Health Behavior guided the overall intervention and the components. The program led by a case manager with a medication calendar, motivating interviewing and coaching strategies and collaboration with a pharmacist. Analysis included change in scores, ${\chi}^2$-test, and t-test. Result: The results showed significant increase in medication adherence, physical function and decrease joint pain, joint stiffness and depression in the experimental group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The eight session integrated case management program indicated an effect on medication adherence, pain, physical function, and depression. Partnership with a pharmacist is recommended for medication adherence and conduct of further studies will be needed in order to determine the long-term effect of an extended integrated program on health outcomes.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.44-55
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• 2019

Purpose: To investigate whether changes in Medical Aid (MA) status are associated with unmet need and catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). Methods: Data from the 2010 to 2014 Korea Health Panel (KHP) were used. The impact of changes in annual MA status ('MA to MA,' 'MA to MA Exit,' 'MA Exit to MA,' and 'MA Exit to MA Exit') on unmet need (all-cause and financial) and CHE (10% and 40% of household capacity to pay) were examined using the generalized estimating equation (GEE) model. Analysis was conducted separately for MA type I and II individuals. Results: In 1,164 Medical Aid type I individuals, compared to the 'MA to MA' group, the 'MA to MA Exit' group had increased likelihoods of all-cause and financial unmet need. This group also showed higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. The 'MA Exit to MA Exit' group showed increased likelihoods at the 10% and 40% CHE standards. In 852 type II recipients, the 'MA to MA Exit' group had higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. Conclusions: Type 1 MA exit beneficiaries had higher likelihoods of all-cause and financial unmet need, along CHE at the 10% standard. Type I 'MA Exit to MA Exit' beneficiaries also showed higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% and 40% standards. In type II recipients, MA exit beneficiaries had higher likelihoods of CHE at the 10% standard. The results infer the importance of monitoring MA exit beneficiaries as they may be vulnerable to unmet need and CHE.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.278-291
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• 2015

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine differences in health care utilization and related costs between before and after the introduction of the designated doctor system, and to find out factors making the differences. Methods: Data were collected from 200 medical aid beneficiaries having one or more chronic diseases, registered in the designated doctor system during the year of 2012, and the relationship between the use of health services and claimed medical expenses was analyzed through paired t-test and multiple regression analysis using the SPSS 18.0 program. Results: There was a decrease in the number of total benefit days and the number of outpatient and medication days, but some cases showed an increase after the designation of medical institution. In general, hospital stay increased after the introduction of the system. However, the number of medical institutions utilized was reduced in most cases after designation. Conversely, medical expenses increased in most cases after the designation of medical institution. Conclusion: These results suggest that a detailed scheme to designate medical institutions should be made in consideration of the seriousness of illness and classification of medical institutions not only for the beneficiaries' enhanced health but for the effective management of medical aid fund.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.22-33
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• 1991

The Korean people are all the beneficiaries of medical insurance or medical aid. It is important and needful to develop the preventive health program such as health examination and health education for disease prevention and health promotion of the beneficiaries. This paper diagnoses the status and problems of the current preventive health services to the beneficiaries and recommends how to develop the preventive health program in the medical insurance. This paper suggests that the government should strengthen the political support and supervision in order to develop the preventive health program in the medical insurance. In addition to the above suggestion, the following are recommended ; 1) to designate the large number of qualified hospitals for health examination. 2) to use the supplementary methods such as the health questionnaires in order to give the accurate health examination services. 3) to combine the health examinations by both laws of medical insurance and industrial health. 4) to arrange the manpower in charge of health education and to establish the health promotion centers. 5) to develop the effective mass media and materials for health education by use of TV, radio, VTR and slide projector.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.13-23
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• 2014

Background: A need arises to efficiently control health expenditure for medical aid due to a sharp increase in medical aid expenditure. This study experimently analyzes the impact of physician behavior on medical use for medical aid beneficiaries using supplier induced demand (SID) theory. Methods: This study looks into analyze SID effect using expenditure factor analysis of medical aid for the years between 2003 and 2010 in comparison with health insurance. Moreover, this study analyzes the existence and scale of SID using econometrics modeling with panel data on 16 cities and provinces's health expenditure data for medical aid from 2003 1/4 to 2010 4/4. Results: This study finds that the growth rate of visit days per capita and treatment amount per visit days for medical aid is higher than health insurance. Furthermore, the result of econometrics modeling analysis shows the existence of SID in general hospital, hospital, clinic, oriental clinic. Conclusion: In order to efficiently control expenditure for medical aid, it is required to reinforce macro polices such as the introduction of 'target management' and micro policies such as the strengthen of management on medical institutes in the perspective of suppliers as well as regulations of demanders.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-45
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• 1984

This study was conducted to identify the problems in the medical aid program by reviewing the medical care utilization pattern of the beneficiaries. The data were abstracted from the monthly bills and vouchers for medical care of the whole benefi챠aries(17,527) in Gyeongsan Gun submitted by the physicians to county government for the period of 1 calendar year from October 1981 to September 1982. The number of medical aid beneficiary accounted for 12.7% of the total county population, a higher proportion than the national average-9.5%. Monthly primary care utilization rate per 100 beneficiaries was 9.3 persons with 14.0 visits and 42.9 medication days. for the 2nd and 3rd care, there were 1.7 admissions and 9.3 OPD visits per 100 beneficiaries per year. The beneficiaries of the first class medical aid program had a higher utilization rate of both the primary and secondary/tertiary care facilities. Females utilized more the primary care facilities than males while males utilized more the secondary/tertiary care facilities than females. A significantly lower utilization rate was observed in January than in the other months and this was seemed due to the renewal process of the medical aid certificate. Among 1,931 patients utilized the 2nd/3rd care facilities 84.4% was out-patients and the lowest ratios were in the minor specialties including ENT, ophthalmology, dermatology and urology. The average hospital days per in-patient were 21.2 days and OPD days per out patient were 4.7 days. The average hospital days for a psychiatry in-patient was 74.4 days which was the longest average hospital days among all the specialties. Average medical care cost per beneficiary in a year was W9,821:W24,240 for the 1st class and W7,464 for the 2nd class. The medical care cost for the primary care per patient was W3.901 and W840 per day compared with W49,875 per patient and W5,822 per day for the secondary/tertiary care. From the findings of this study following recommendations were made to improve the medical care program: 1) The renewal process of the medical care certificate should be expedited. 2) Minor specialty clinics should be designated as the primary medical care facility for the medical aid program to reduce the expenses by absorbing more patients referred to the secondary/tertiary care facilities directly. 3) The medical care cost for the primary care facility should be escalated to reduce the differential between the primary and secondary/tertiary care facilities.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Rural Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.5-12
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• 2013

Purpose: This research was a survey to ascertain whether there are differences in opinion about designated doctors and hospitals, type of health care service utilized and health behavior between people who have applied to be Medical Aid Beneficiaries, but not using the Designated Doctor System. Method: The participants were from three groups, application for two years, one year and non-appliers. Data collection was done by Medical Care Client Managers through in-depth interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results: The participants expressed no negative effect of the designated doctor system in relation to designated doctor, hospital or health behavior but there was a significant effect in type of health care service utilized. Conclusion: In the future, the commitment of Medical Care Client Managers is important, but the role of health care providers will be emphasized in order to sustain the effectiveness of the health care system under the Designated Doctor System.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.259-269
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• 2017

This study analyzed medical aid case management effects based on the number of access by visits, phone calls, letters, internal investigation, resource links, and requests, in medical aid case management business that is carried out to improve the quality of life of medical care beneficiaries and reduce financial cost. Secondary analysis study using data of 564 high-risk group in the medical aid case management and their healthcare utilization data. Letters had positive correlations with the scores of all case management domains. The higher visits was, the lower the score of self-health care ability was, and the higher the number of phone calls was, the higher the score for reasonable medical use was. While there was no significant difference in medical cost according to aid management by interventions, the higher visits and resource links were, the lower the subjects' total number of payment days was. There is a difference in the various areas of the quality of health -related life and medical use depending on case management by intervention method and its number. It is necessary to carry out the efficient number of access to case management by intervention method.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.149-160
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explain the role transition process to nurse case managers (NCMs) for Medical-aid beneficiaries in Korea. Methods: Fourteen NCMs were interviewed regarding their experiences of becoming proficient in the new role of case manger. Data were analyzed through the application of grounded theory. Results: 'Taking root in a barren land' was the core category explaining the role transition process of NCMs. They engaged in four stages: launching, trial and error, proficiency, and wait-and-see stages. NCMs showed not only fear but also passion for case management practice. Despite their passion and effort, NCMs went through a period of trial and error. After becoming skilled, NCMs went through a stage of wait-and-see often because of job insecurity related to temporary position or few opportunities for promotion. Factors influencing NCMs' role transition process included their understanding of client characteristics, belief in case management, and support from their colleagues and families. Conclusion: NCMs experience many challenges in the process of becoming proficient NCMs. To help with their role transition, there is a need for education programs, preceptorship programs, research on their roles and functions, and regulation for securing NCMs' employment and career stability.