• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.67-81
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to analyze the report conducted in 2014 by the Ministry of Health and Welfares on influences of private insurance coverage on the use of Korean medicine. Methods : We analyzed Ministry of Health and welfares report on the use and consumption of Korean medicine to fit the purpose of this study. Comparison between private insurance holders and non-holders was made in the areas of sociodemographic characteristics, patient distribution by disorders, total number of disorders and existence of complex diseases, general perception of Korean medicine, and medical expenses and visits. Logistic regression analysis was made to verify the private insurance coverage. Results : Among sociodemographic characteristics, significant differences were observed in age distribution, education, professions, income level, and housing factors. But genders, area of residence, and marital status didn't show significant differences. Other significant differences including side effects, experience with Korean medicine, herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments, and main visiting facilities were shown between private insurance holders and non-holders. Majority of disorders treated with Korean medicine were musculoskeletal issues, and criteria of number of disorders, multiple diseases factors, and medical expenses/visits showed significant differences between the two groups. Conclusions : Summarizing above results indicate that holding a private insurance in addition to National Health Insurance contributes significant influences on the use of Korean medicine.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.143-151
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to analyze the socio-economic factors, the factors affecting the private insurance, utilizing Korea National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey 2011. Findings of the study can be summarized as follows. First, participants with private insurance are young, high monthly income, low prevalence of chronic illness. Second, participants with private insurance and chronic illness were young and high monthly income. Third, Average monthly household income, the higher the age is younger. Private insurance and national health insurance was higher subscription rate. Consequently, participants with private insurance and uninsured of the major differences is the age and the average monthly income. Elderly, low income are needed health promotion and disease prevention for expanded medicare, welfare policies.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.101-109
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• 2009

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the present status of physical therapies provided in the Korean medicine clinics, and to find out the priorities among and the estimated fees of physical therapies for the National Health Insurance plan. Methods : We administered nationwide survey to Korean medicine doctors using the on-line survey system. 16 physical therapies were listed in the Web-based questionnaires, and responders were asked to mark the therapies they used for their patients, and, for each therapy they marked, to fill in the form including the frequencies of service, service fees, target diseases, and priorities for health insurance coverage, etc. Results : Of 488 respondents, 93.7% provide more than one physical therapy for their patients, and each responder uses 5.9 physical therapies on average. 60-90% of physical therapies are being given to patients for free because they are not covered by the National Health Insurance. There is little evidence that the specialties of Korean medicine doctors are related with the use of physical therapies, but, in some therapies, the doctors with longer career years use the physical therapy more frequently. Most physical therapies are applied to the patients with musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and nervous diseases, etc. Conclusions : Physical therapies are widely used among Korean medicine doctors without proper compensation. This could be the one of the main factors distorting the profit structure of Korean medicine clinics, and it encourages the National Health Insurance to cover physical therapies provided in the Korean medicine clinics.

• Journal of Sasang Constitutional Medicine
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.299-310
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• 2017

The Sasang Constitutional Examination, which is a medical treatment for Korean medicine, is a insurance non-coverage item. It is necessary to diagnose the constitution for medical treatment and to know the health regimen according to the constitution. We plan this project in order to expand the insurance guarantee reinforcement for Sasang Constitutional Examination and Counselling. This study was to investigate the status of insurance coverage and non-coverage items and to investigate objectivity and standardization of Sasang Constitutional Examination and Counselling. In addition, according to medical field, the items of Sasang Constitutional Examination and Counselling were divided. We reviewed the status of constitutional health care services and applied it to the financial budget for the medical care costs. Finally we propose Sasang Constitutional Examination and Counseling of Korean Medicine Act Classification (plan) and propose Insurance Coverage of Sasang Constitutional Examination and Counselling (plan).

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 2024

Objectives : This study aims to systematically examine the determinants of the intention to take herbal medicine among individuals with experience in Korean medicine. Methods : This study utilized the 3,245 respondents from the 2020 Korean Medicine Utilization and Herbal Medicine Consumption Survey who reported having used Korean medical services; the responses were selected through a complex sample analysis, and analytics techniques including frequency analysis, Rao-scott chisquare test, and logistic regression were used to analyze the responses. Results : The results of data analysis reveal that the intention to take herbal medicine in the future among these individuals was significantly influenced by factors such as enrollment in private health insurance, the facility environment of Korean medical institutions, and treatment outcomes. Conclusions : Therefore, it is imperative for Korean medical institutions to continuously try reasonable action strategies, including improving medical facilities/environments and building institutional mechanisms among medical staff and members to enhance the quality of Korean medical services. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare needs to make policy efforts to reduce patients' medical expenses, such as reducing the co-insurance rate in the pilot project of applying health insurance to herbal medicine.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 2023

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the recognition of coverage for Korean medicine treatments in private medical insurance among Korean medicine doctors (KMDs). Methods : Questionnaire reviewed by experts was performed to KMDs who were registered in the Association of Korean Medicine. The survey targeted awareness of private health insurance for Korean medicine, appropriate coverage, cost, and frequency. Results : Data were collected from 932 respondents out of 28,234 Korean medicine doctors. Most KMDs were aware of coverage for Korean medicine in private medical insurance, and they responded that pharmacopuncture and herbal decoction were covered first. KMDs also responded that the coverage should be provided without limited number of times, except herbal medicine. Conclusion : Most KMDs responded that Korean medical private medical insurance was essential. To promote the developing insurance for Korean medicine, survey for public and insurance company will be performed.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 2007

Objectives: This study aims to examine if the follow-up management service by National Health Insurance (NHI) for person at health risk leads to significant modification of the lifestyle and change of health status. Methods: Of persons who underwent health screening and were classified as having health risks after periodic health screening by NHI in 2003, persons who took the follow-up management service were selected as case group and persons who took no service were selected as control group. The DW database of NHI was used to explore the effect of the follow-up management service on the modification of health status and lifestyle. Chi-square tests were conducted with SAS 9.1 to examine the differences of health promotion effect between case vs. control group. Results: It was shown that of lifestyle behaviors, only exercise was significantly improved for case group compared with control group as the effect of the follow-up management service by NHI (2.98%p) (p<.0001). Further, morbidity rate for control group was 2% higher than that of case group (p <.0001), which indicates that persons who received the follow-up management service better maintained their health significantly than persons who did not. Conclusions: The present study shows that the appropriate follow-up management services need to be provided for maximizing potential effect of periodic health screening by NHI.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.22 no.3 s.27
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• pp.398-405
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• 1989

A change in the consumer's surplus was measured in order to evaluate the social benefit to be derived from expanding health insurance to the entire population. The most refined and correct way to measure a project's net benefit to society is to determine a change in the consumer's surplus. Benefits from introducing the health insurance program to the uninsured people can be classified into two elements. The first is the pricing-down effect(E1) which results from applying the insurance price system, which is lower than the actual price, to the uninsured patients. The second effect(E2) is a decrease in actual payment because an insured patient pays only a portion of the total medical bill(copayment). We collected medical price information from the data banks of 93 hospitals, and obtained information of medical utilization by referring to the results of other research and from data published by the Korean Medical Insurance Societies. The total net benefit was estimated as \214 billion, comprising the first effect(E1) of \57 billion and the second effect(E2) of \157 billion. The price elasticity of physician visits is less than that of hospital admissions: however, benefits from the increase in physician visits are greater than those from hospital admissions because there are considerably more of physician visits than hospital admissions. The sensitivity analysis also shows the conclusion that expansion of the health insurance program to the entire population would result in a positive net benefit. Therfore, we conclude that the National Health Insurance Program is socially desirable.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose on this study was to analyze medical health insurance to provide useful data to reestablish oriental medical insurance fees for long-term care hospitals. Methods: First, comparative analysis on medical health insurance was performed, calculating insurance fees of patients admitted to Mungyung Long-term Care Hospital. The oriental medical insurance fee of the patients was calculated as if the patients have been admitted to oriental long-term care hospitals, and the ratio of oriental medical insurance fee to western was calculated. Results: 1. The ratios of total medical expenses were 90% within 3 months and 82% over 3 months. 2. The ratios of co-pays were 86% within 3 months and 82% over 3 months. Conclusions: Oriental medical insurance fees need to be reevaluated.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.178-187
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• 2012

Purpose: In Korea, the nation's medical expenses were 12 billion won in 2010. The medical costs for individuals can also be overwhelming. If a patient has sustained severe trauma, his/her insurance company responsible may pay only part of the medical bills. In Korean, there are diverse types of medical insurance, such as health insurance, automobile insurance, and industrial accident compensation insurance. And each insurance system has a different type of payment system. Our study will be essential for establishing the optimal medical expense payment system. Methods: From January to December 2011, we retrospectively reviewed the medical charts of 161 patients who were admitted to our hospital's emergency room after having undergone severe trauma. Of those 161 patients, 125 were retrospectively reviewed. Written permission was obtained from all of the patients. We analysed the demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes, data of the trauma, type of the patient's insurance, and the entire bill when the patient was discharged. Results: Seventy-one patients had health insurance, 48 automobile insurance, and six industrial accident compensation insurance. High-deductible insurance included health insurance and industrial accident compensation insurance, with the deductibles up to 20.6% and 19.1%, respectively. We attempted to analyze the cause of the high deductible rate. In patients with health insurance, medicines, primarily sedatives, pain killers, antibiotics, and fluids. comprised a large proportion. On the other hand, industrial accident compensation insurance deducted for a high-grade hospital room charge. Conclusion: We found that medical expenses were diverse according to the type of insurance. In particular, health insurance forced patients to pay too much of the medical expenses. Therefore, in Korea we should try to identify the insurance problems and improve the wage system.