• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-19
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• 2007

This study focused on finding the variation of medical service utilization and medical payments of the patients died by three, cancers, stomach, breast, and colon cancer. For this study, data of the one-year episodes of the health insurance subscribers died in 2004 were selected. The frequency of medical visits, the lengths of slays, the days of outpatient visits, the total period of medical services and the total medical payments were compared by the characteristics of the suppliers and utilizers. The data of the patients died by cerebrovascular diseases and cancer in 2004 were selected. To select the dead by cerebrovascular diseases and cancer in 2004, were matched the 2004 reimbursement data of all medical institutions to the data of funeral fee payment by the National Health Insurance Corporation from January 2004 to May 2005 for the death in 2004. The results of the analysis were as follow. The variation of medical service utilization of the dead by cancers were not small in Korea. The current study found that the variation of medical care utilization was influenced by the factors of suppliers, such as types and locations of medical institutions and the factors of users, such as sex and age. It was suspected that the reimbursement by fee-for-service contributed to the variation quite a lot, but we could not compare the variation between the different reimbursement systems in Korea. The results of the study suggested that tile factors of suppliers and utilizers should he reviewed to reduce the under use and over use expressed by variations of medical service utilization. The processes of care, effective communication and management system should be investigated for the equity of medical service utilization. Additionally, prospective payment could he recommended to reduce the high variation of medical service Use. To find the variation caused by under use and over use, further study need to control the severity of diseases, socio-economic status of the users and the system factors.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.104-128
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• 2003

Equity in health care has taken priority in the Korean government's policy agenda after the government-led national health insurance achieved universal coverage in 1989 along with the final inclusion of the self-employed as beneficiary. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which there exists difference or inequality in the utilization of health care, especially cancer inpatient services among income classes. We analysed the utilization of cancer inpatient services of residents in Jeju Island for a year of 2000, using the national health insurance data for qualification of beneficiaries and utilization of health care. The independent variable are 10 income classes based on the national health insurance fee imposed on each household for a year of 2000. The dependent variables of this study are an amount of cancer inpatient health care utilization measured by cancer admission days and cancer treatment costs. Also, cancer inpatient health care utilization is analysed by three categories divided into utilization in medical care institutions (1) within Jeju Island, (2) outside Jeju Island, and (3) all within and outside Jeju Island. We measured concentration index of cancer inpatient health care utilization. This analysis showed negative concentration index within Jeju Island and positive outside Jeju Island, and positive in all within and outside Jeju Island. This results suggest inequality against the relatively poor income groups in utilization of cancer inpatient health care services. Especially, inequity of cancer inpatient health care would be more serious in Jeju Island of Korea, considering that lower income groups reportedly have higher incidence rates in most of cancer and thus use more health services.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.3-12
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• 1979

A survery was carried out in order to know the status of student health service and student medical insurance of universities and colleges in Korea from 1 July to 30 September. 1978. And the following results were obtained; 1. Out of seventy universities and colleges, 54.8% of them had student health service facility such as student health conte. (30.0%) or health room (24.8%). 2. Out of twenty-seven national and public universities and colleges, 44.4% of them had student health service facility and out of forty-three private universities and colleges, 60.5% of them had student health service facilities. 3. Each of 80.0% of 25 universities, 43.3% of 30 colleges and 33.3% of 15 junior colleges had student health service facility. 4. Major roles of student health service were physical examination (92.1%), health counselling (86.8%), primary medical care (78.9%), tuberculosis control (68.4%), insect and rodent control (52.6%), parasite control(47.4%), water source sanitation (44.7%), and dental health care (28.9%). 5. Out of 21 universities and colleges, 66.7% of them had full time doctor and 81.0% of them had full time nurse for student health center. And out of 17 universites and colleges, 5.9% of them had full time doctor and 33.3% of then had full time nurse for student health room. 6. The range of health fee was varied from 100 won to 1,400 won per student per semester and the average was 520 won. 7. Among 55 universities and colleges, 78.6% of them had carried out annual physical examination in 1977 and the rate of physical examination was 57.4%. 8. Out of 70 universities and colleges. 45.7% of them had tuberculosis control program and the prevalence rate was 6.0 per 1,000 students. 9. Student medical insurance program was developed by ten universities and one college among 25 universities and 45 colleges. 10. Student medical insurance benefit was varied according to university and college; the reduction rate of medical fee was 20% to 80% for not only in-patient but also out-patient. 11. The upper limit of pay claim was varied according to the university and college from 5,000 won to no-limitation for out-patient and from 30,000 won to no-limitation for in-patient. 12. The highest utility rate of student medical insurance program was found in university 'F' with the rate of 791 for out-patient and 12 for admitted patient per 1,000 students.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.266-274
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• 2015

The price for health service are decided by very complicated process because many of factors are related with them. The RBRVS(resource-based relative value scale) were used to calculate the Korean health service fees including dental fees. This study aimed to compare dental fees of Korea with other countries, such as Japan, Germany, and the US for evaluating the adequacy. Dental fees were categorized as oral evaluation and imaging, dental treatment including restorative, periodontal, and surgical work, and preventive treatment and compared by each country. The official documents about dental fees were collected from Korea, Japan, Germany, and the US. Each fee was presented as their own currency at first. Then they were converted into Korean won (KRW) by applying the market exchange rates at a specific point of time. Finally the fees were adjusted by purchasing power parities (PPPs) which equalize the different currencies. In general, the level of Korean fees were markedly low compared to those of Japan, Germany, and the US. German fees were similar or higher than that of Japan, and the US. The Korean fees were lower than three other countries 1.2~4.1 times for oral evaluation and 2.2~7.3 times lower for panoramic radiography. The endodontic fees of Japan, Germany, and the US were higher 1.8~15.3 times and 4.0~35.9 times for the deciduous teeth extraction compared to the Korean. In Japan the prophylaxis was 3.2 times more priced than the Korean fee. Exceptionally, the fees for re-evaluation, amalgam filling, and scaling were lower priced in Japan than other countries. This study has limitations on the items in definition and contents of dental practices units which were not exactly comparable and differently determined by countries. However, this study is meaningful because it surveyed the price levels to compare four different countries and then applied PPPs adjustment. This finding can be used to develop the dental RBRVs of Korean national health insurance and will contribute to improving the payment systems of health care.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.86-95
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• 2008

Purpose: The objectives for this study are to produce the comprehensive management indexes and find their application strategies for appropriate medical care in primary care clinics under workers' compensation insurance. Method: Data of this study was workers' compensation insurance medical fees claim's data from July 2006 to June 2007. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.1 version by applying descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. The indexes such as costliness index(CI), standard medical fee were calculated based on the fourth revision of korean classification of diseases(KCD-4.). Results: The CI, visiting index(VI), outliers index(OI), and medical review adjustment percentage were positively correlated in the both inpatient and outpatient medical fees in primary care clinics under workers' compensation insurance. The major medical specialities were neurological surgery, general medicine, general surgery, rehabitational medicine, and orthopedic surgery. The CIs were slightly high in rehabitational medicine among major medical specialities. The CIs were mostly high in diagnosis, test, anesthesia, and rehabitational assistive device fees among major medical specialities. The CIs were slightly high in Kwangju, Daegu, Daejeon, and Busan districts among district management centers of Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service. Conclusions: We suggest the continuous development of appropriate disease classification system and medical care quality indicators to successfully take root the comprehensive management for appropriate medical care under workers' compensation.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.41-52
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• 2012

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the trend of financial balance of Korean medicine clinics during 20 years, and to provide basic information for adjusting the fee schedule of Korean medicine procedures in national health insurance(NHI). Methods : We collected 6 financial analysis reports for Korean medicine clinics from the Association of Korean Oriental Medicine(AKOM). The data on incomes, costs and EBIT(earning before interests and taxes) of subject clinics were abstracted, and their long-term trends were evaluated. Results : The proportion of insurance income in total income increased from 23% to 56% during 20 years. Among 5 treatment groups, 'non-insurance medication' took up 65~67% of total incomes in 1997, but its proportion decreased to 42.4% in 2007. 'medical procedure, physical therapy and others' increased from 12.4% in 1987 to 29.2% in 2007. The labor cost was major part of total cost and its proportion maintained from 52% to 54%. Cost of 'non-insurance medication' was on the decline from 41% in 1996 to 31.6% in 2007. EBIT were -17.4 million won in 1996, and 18.4 million won in 2007. Conclusions : Financial balance of Korean medicine clinics improved until early 2000, but it became worse in 2007. Though deficits from NHI procedures has been covered up by profit from 'non-insurance medication', health insurance became a major source of income during last two decades.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.257-268
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• 2005

It is recently suggested in Korea that Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) is an alternative plan of Korean Dental Fee Schedule which has been operated on a fee-for-service basis since the introduction of the national health insurance program in 1977. RBRVS applicable to diagnosis and treatment for temporomandibular disorders (TMD), a common cause of orofacial pain, is needed to be estimated in Korea and the establishment of the standard terminology of dental procedures for TMD should be preceded. The purposes of this study were to develop a new classification system of health care service items for TMD and to investigate time needed for each item, which enables RBRVS to be estimated prior to establishment the payment system of health care services for TMD. The dental service items for TMD in this study were categorized through Delphi process which 10 TMD specialists were participated in and the time needed for each service item was investigated by work sampling and time study method with a stopwatch. The results of this study demonstrated the new classification system of dental services for TMD comprising 151 service items and exhibited the average time for each items ranging from 7.22 min for cold laser therapy to 171.71 min for direct fabrication of anterior repositioning splint. Conclusively, it is suggested that the classification system for TMD developed in this study, considering specific characteristics on basis of resources for health care service of dental procedures, should be helpful to estimate payment level for each service item.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.221-237
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• 1992

The reasons for cost inflation in medical insurance expenditure are classified into demand pull inflation and cost push inflation. The former includes increase in the number of beneficiaries and utilization rate, while the latter includes increase in medical insurance fee and the charges per case. This study was conducted to analyze sources of increases of expenditure in medical insurance demonstration area by the period of 1982-1987 which was earlier than national health insurance and the period of national health insurance(1988-1990). The major findings were as follows: Medical expenditure in these areas increased by 9.4%(15.1%) annually between 1982 and 1990 on the basis of costant price(current price) and for this period, the yearly average increasing rate of expenses for outpatient care[10.5%(15.8%)] was higher than that of inpatient care [7.3%(12.6%)]. Medical expenditure increased by 6.3%(8.9%) annually between 1982 and 1987, the period of medical insurance demonstration, while it increased by 10.7%(18.9%) after implementing national health insurance(1988-1990). Medical expenditure increased by 35.9%(45.9%) between 1982 and 1987. Of this increase, 115.2%(92.1%) was attributable to the increase in the frequencies of utilization per beneficiary and 61.0%(68.1%) was due to the increase in the charges per case, but the expenditure decreased by 76.2%(60.2%) due to the reduction in the number of beneficiaries. Beteen 1988 and 1990, the period of national health insurance, medical expenditure increased by 21.2%(41.4%). Of this increase, 87.5%(46.4%) was attributable to the increase in the frequencies of utilization per beneficiary and 52.4%(73.4%) was due to the increase in the charges per case, and of the increase in the charges per case, 69.6%(40.8%) was attributable to the increase in the days of visit per case. Medical expenses per person in these areas increased by 78.2%(89.0%) between 1982 and 1987. Of this increase, 76.6%(69.1%) was attributable to the increase in the frequencies of utilization per beneficiary and 23.4%(30.9%) was due to the increase in the charges per case. For this period, demand-pull factor was the major cause of the increase in medical expenses and the expenses per treatment day was the major attributable factor in cost-push inflation. Betwee 1988 and 1990, medical expenditure per person increased by 31.2%(53.1%). Of this increase, 60.8%(37.2%) was attributable to the demand-pull factor and 39.2%(62.8%) was due to the increase in the charges per case which was one of cost-push factors. In current price, the attributalbe rate of the charges per case which was one of cost-push factors was higher than that of utilization rate in the period of national health insurance as compared to the period of medical insurance demonstration. In consideration of above findings, demand-pull factor led the increase in medical expenditure between 1982 and 1987, the period of medical insurance medel trial, but after implementing national health insurance, the attributable rate of cost-push factor was increasing gradually. Thus we may conclude that for medical cost containment, it is requested to examine the new reimbursement method to control cost-push factor and service-intensity factor.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.5
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• pp.1024-1037
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• 2020

The resource-based relative value scale (RBRVS) compares the value of a medical practice to the consumption of resources, which consist of the work of the physician, practice expenses, and professional liability insurance. At the time of the 2nd revision of RBRVS, the fee for radiological examinations had been reduced due to the high preservation rate. In RBRVS, practice expenses account for most of the compensation of radiological examinations, and physicians' work is relatively undervalued. A new healthcare policy (Moon Jae-In care) consists of the expansion of the National Health Insurance (NHI) coverage, reduction of patient charges for the vulnerable class, and support for catastrophic medical expenses. However, Moon Jae-In care is expected to negatively affect the NHI in Korea financially. The expansion of the insurance coverage for ultrasonography and MRI examinations is a significant part of the Moon Jae-In care, and radiological societies should establish fair compensations for physicians' work within the field of radiology while implementing the Moon Jae-In care.

• 대한예방의학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.177-178
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• 2000