• Health Policy and Management
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.142-165
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• 2009

Although providing universal coverage for health care through the National Health Insurance(NHI) is a remarkable achievement, the issue of limited benefit coverage of the NHI has been at the core of national debate over how to improve its coverage. This study aims to evaluate benefit extension strategies and implemented policies with regard to the NHI since 1989 using 'policy window theory' proposed by John W. Kingdon. Understanding problem stream, policy stream, political stream, and coupling streams regarding the NHI, in particular benefit extension, would contribute to broaden policy debates and to develop more effective strategies for the future. Historically, political stream had opened policy window in the past two decades and policy streams can be characterized by three waves. Three streams have been coupled since 2003 and the government had a strong will to fulfill better performance of NHI coverage. Study findings indicate that identification of problem structure regarding NHI benefit was not connected with policy stream tightly. In addition, there has been limited discussion on policy goal and principles for extension coverage of the NHI. Policy strategies to improve coverage of the NHI should be linked to characteristics of problem and sought solutions under the principle which is expected to be sustainable through consensus in the society.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.159-178
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• 2011

Korea ranks high among the OECD member countries with a high out-of-pocket share. In 2006, the government implemented in full scale the policy of extending the health insurance benefit coverage. Included in the policy are lowering the out-of-pocket share of patients of serious case and expanding the medical bill ceiling system to mention just a few. This study proposes to confirm effectiveness of the benefit extension policy by identifying changes in 'out-of-pocket expenditure as a share of the ability to pay' and 'incidence rate of catastrophic health care expenditure' of each individual household as manifested before and after the benefit extension policy was implemented. The 1st and 3rd year data from the Korea Welfare Panel Study (KoWePS), conducted by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA), were used for the analysis, where low-income households and ordinary households are sampled separately. While the absolute amount of 'out-of-pocket expenditure' occurred to the average household increased for the period 2005-2007, the 'out-of-pocket expenditure as a share of the ability to pay' decreased. At the same time, the share decreased in the case of low-income households and households with patients of chronic or serious case as contrasted with ordinary households. 'Incidence rates of catastrophic health care expenditure' of ordinary households for 2007 stood at 14.6%, 5.9% and 2.8% at the threshold of 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively. The rates decreased overall between 2005 and 2007, while those of low-income households with patients of serious case statistically significantly increased. An analysis of this study indicates that it is related with the medical bill ceiling system regardless of incomes introduced in 2007.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.127-135
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• 2018

This study is to investigate the influence of brand benefit on brand extension, especially focusing on the mediating effect of trademark belief and the moderating effect of categorical similarity. This study restates that brand benefit affect consumers' brand extension attitude and confirms that it is completely mediated by trademark belief. In addition, this study finds that categorical similarity moderates the effects of brand benefit on brand extension attitude. The results of this study suggest a theoretical implication that trademark belief can be used as one of the brand extension strategies and a practical implication that the brand communication strategy based on brand benefits should be changed with the categorical similarity.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.539-548
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the awareness and attitude toward health insurance coverage extension to scaling in dental service consumers. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 349 adults in Jeonbuk from May 4 to 15, 2015. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects (7 items), Awareness of the dental health insurance system(8 items), Health insurance system coverage extension to scaling(8 items), Self-perception of oral health(7 items), Recognition toward yearly scaling benefit(10 items). Results: There were significant differences according to age in opinions on the appropriateness of the frequency of yearly scaling benefit, and the respondents who were in their 20s, who were unmarried and who brushed their teeth three times a day had significantly different opinions on the appropriateness of the fee of yearly scaling benefit. Their opinions on the expansion of scaling benefit was significantly affected by age. It implies that scaling should be added to the coverage list of the national health insurance in every age group since there is an increase in periodontal diseases with age. Concerning awareness of dental health insurance policy, the better-educated respondents took a better view of this system as they showed a more positive interest in its policies and shifts. Conclusions: It is desirable to provide more precise information as to eligible age, frequency and cost through public promotion of health coverage of scaling, and the effort to improve the health insurance coverage policy should be made in order to extend the scope of health coverage of scaling in the near future.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.211-254
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• 2014

Malawi's agricultural extension system has been subjected to a number of criticisms in recent times for failing to contribute significantly to agricultural development and for not responding to the needs of the smallholder farmers. Despite this, extension is still seen as key to improving poverty and rural livelihoods.There is a number of challenges facing extension that require a response from the public sector and other stakeholders. A clear and positive response to these challenges will help shape the future of agricultural extension in Malawi for the benefit of all farmers and the attainment of the broad policy objectives of government: democratization, market liberalization, decentralization, HIV/AIDS crisis, shrinking public sector resources, public sector reform, and co-ordination, etc. The mission is to provide pluralistic demand driven extensions services and promote equalisation and co-ordination in service provision in order to achieve food security at household level, there-by reducing poverty. On the other hand the vision is that 'All farmers' demand and access high quality extension services from those best able to provide them'. DAES implements its extension policy through the District Agricultural Extension Services System (DAESS), based on Model Village Approach.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.125-136
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• 2018

The purpose of the study is to investigate dental health insurance coverage the awareness and dental health insurance coverage extension to scaling in service consumers. There were significant differences according to education level, age on the appropriateness of the age of yearly scaling benefit, and to married, regions, self-oral health of the frequency of yearly scaling benefit, who their teeth brushed frequence a day on the appropriateness of the fee of yearly scaling benefit. It implies that should be added to the coverage list national health insurance every age group after increasing periodontal disease. It is to be more extension as to age, frequency and fee health insurance coverage of scaling, the effort to improve dental health insurance coverage policy must be continue for oral health in the future.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.10-17
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• 2022

South Korea is not a wasteland of publicly funded health care-instead, it has a good medical social security system known as the national health insurance (NHI). The NHI of Korea has three unique features; (1) low premiums, low insurance fees, and low coverage; (2) obligatory designation of medical institutions; (3) and allowance of non-benefit services. These features have made hospitals and doctors interested in profit-seeking. However, the commercialization of medical institutions has taken place in both private- and public-established sectors. A basic problem of commercialization is the co-existence of the obligatory designation of medical institutions and non-benefit services. The problem became worse in the Kim Dae-Jung government because it officially permitted non-benefit services. Since 2000, the Korean government has consistently pursued benefit extension policies, but the coverage rates of the NHI have stagnated. In addition, premiums and current medical expenses have markedly increased because policy-makers have emphasized accessibility to the NHI, while ignoring important principles of medical social security such as a needs-based approach and patient-referral system. In order to resolve the commercialization problem, the obligatory designation of medical institutions to the NHI should be changed to a contract system, and non-benefit services should be prohibited at NHI institutions. We must re-establish the patient-referral system via a needs-based approach. We also need to build a primary healthcare system and public health policies. We should make a long-term plan for healthcare reform.

• Land and Housing Review
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.113-119
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• 2016

The maintenance and improvement of housing become more important than quantitative supply. So this paper suggests the directions to solve the current issues of housing improvement policies. In 2015, the housing improvement for the low-income has been expanded with the revision of housing benefit policy. And each related government departments are steadily carrying out various housing improvement programs. Under the current improvement policies, individual houses are being repaired according to the criteria of the target selection. And the repair allowance of the housing benefit is limited to the ownership households except the rented. Hereafter, it has to considered the review of the detailed goal setting and application problems in housing improvement policy and to consider the extension to the rented households and the raise of the income criteria of targets. Also, it needs to carry out the improvement of several neighboring houses at the same time for synergy effect other than individual house, to change the selection way of repair contractors and to secure the quality and advancement of the improvement.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.284-293
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• 2020

The rapid progress of AI technology gives us the expectation to solutions to various problems in our society, and at the same time, it gives us anxiety about the side effects that can occur if AI develops beyond human control. This study was conducted in the early 20s with less objection to advanced devices. We attempted to provide clues to understand thoughts and attitudes of the targets about the future environment that will be brought by AI through the process of finding intent the acceptance of strong AI technology. For this, we applied the Theory of Planned Behavior, and further expanded this research model to identify factors affecting the attitude toward AI. As a result, the attitude toward AI and perceived behavioral control had a significant effect on the intention to use to strong AI. In addition, we found that the expectation of the benefit of improving task performance and the anxiety on the threat of relationship disturbance had a significant effect on the attitude toward AI. This study suggests implications for AI-related companies establishing the direction of technology development and for government setting a policy direction for AI adoption.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.114-125
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• 2019

The frequency of official injury of fire-fighting officers exposed to an extreme situation in disaster areas has been continuously increased. In spite of increase of injury, procedures of injury approval are complex, so the working environment of fire-fighting officers is very poor in terms of safety management. This study was, therefore, conducted to provide basic data for improvement of the injury management system for fire-fighting officers, by empirically analyzing the system for those in Busan city. The findings of the empirical analysis are as follows: first, the frequency of injury experienced by them is higher than that of other occupations; second, application for injury is not actively made; third, fire-fighting officers should bear the expense if injury is approved. On the basis of such an analysis on actual conditions, an analysis on policy factors for improving the injury management system shows; first, various high-risk matters should be considered in the review of application for injury, for improvement factors of the application for injury, while it is necessary to extend the benefit and support project for injured officers, for operation improvement factors of the injury management system, and the compensation act should be improved, for the improvement factors of the injury system. Second, it is urgent to develop damage prevention and coping education program for improving the injury management system. In addition, the simplification of administrative procedures of application for injury and the extension of benefit and support project for injured officers should be realized as soon as possible, moreover, the enhancement of directors' interest and support is also required.