• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.611-621
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• 2020

Objectives: This study aimed to verify the impact of dental health care insurance coverage policy by analyzing the changes in dental care utilization and expenditures over 5 years from 2012 to 2016, when the dental health insurance coverage expansion policy was implemented. From the national cohort data collected by the Korea Health Panel Survey, a retrospective study was conducted for all household members using dental services. Methods: This study statistically verified the difference in the dependent variables by frequency analysis, chi-square test, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (SPSS version 22, IBM Co. USA, p<0.05). Results: The annual utilization rate steadily increased from 23.4% to 26.1% between 2012 and 2016. Although there were differences in utilization rates by gender, age, and income level, patients kept using the dental services in 2016 regardless of the type of health insurance. The average annual copayment for patient expenditures (out-of-pocket amount) increased from ￦463,844 to ￦537,401 in 2012 and 2016, respectively. Of the dental care expenditures over 5 years, the ratio of uninsured expenses by the elderly decreased from 38.5% to 25.9%, and the national health insurance service coverage increased from 40.3% to 49.1%. Conclusions: Although this policy did not reduce overall patient expenditures, it has been found that there was a positive effect on the elderly and low-income groups; it increased the utilization and access to dental services.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.391-397
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• 2019

In 2016, the number of suicides per 100,000 population in Korea was 24.6, which is the highest record of OECD countries. The number of suicide deaths increased with age. Elderly people have a higher risk of completed suicide than any other age group. The purpose of this study was to analyze the panel data of the Korean Welfare Panel Study to identify the factors affecting the suicide of Korean older people. This study analyzed the data of the 11th Korean Welfare Panel Study, which was constructed in 2016. The mean age of the participants was 75.55 years and 37% were man and 63% were women. The annual prevalence of suicidal ideation was 3.4%. The effects of depression(Exp(B)=1.113) and subjective health status((Exp(B)=.767) on suicidal ideation was statistically significant by stepwise logistic regression analysis(Nagelkerke $R^2=.248$). Therefore, for the effective application of suicide prevention program for the older people, assessment of subjective health status and depression screening should be preceded.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to estimate the mediating effect of subjective unmet healthcare needs on poor health. The mediating effect of unmet needs on health outcomes was estimated. Methods: Cross-sectional research method was used to analyze Korea Health Panel data from 2011 to 2015, investigating the mediating effect for each annual dataset and lagged dependent variables. Results: The magnitude of the effect of low income on poor health and the mediating effect of unmet needs were estimated using age, sex, education level, employment status, healthcare insurance status, disability, and chronic disease as control variables and self-rated health as the dependent variable. The mediating effect of unmet needs due to financial reasons was between 14.7% to 32.9% of the total marginal effect, and 7.2% to 18.7% in lagged model. Conclusions: The fixed-effect logit model demonstrated that the existence of unmet needs raised the likelihood of poor self-rated health. However, only a small proportion of the effects of low income on health was mediated by unmet needs, and the results varied annually. Further studies are necessary to search for ways to explain the varying results in the Korea Health Panel data, as well as to consider a time series analysis of the mediating effect. The results of this study present the clear implication that even though it is crucial to address the unmet needs, but it is not enough to tackle the income related health inequalities.

• Journal of the Health Care and Life Science
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.105-114
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• 2023

This study aims to analyze the secondary data of disease distribution and medical service behavior according to gender and income by using the 17th wave data of the Korea Welfare Panel, which is being distributed in April 2023. Data for 7,865 people of raw data generated using the R language were collected, and among them, missing values (NA, - 2,012) were analyzed for 5,853 people. For analysis, average income by health status and gender, relationship with chronic diseases, outpatient visits to medical institutions by gender/age group, type of medical institution used by age group, and annual health checkup usage rate by gender/age group were examined. Through this, the medical utilization rate was higher in men than in women, and the utilization rate of hospitals and clinics was high.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.120-125
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• 2020

Unmet healthcare needs lead to increased disease severity, increased likelihood of complications, and worse disease prognosis. To examine the latest status of unmet healthcare needs in South Korea, the four different data configured with nationally representative sample of South Korean population were used: the Korea Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNAHANES, 2007-2018), the Community Health Survey (CHS, 2008-2018), the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP, 2011-2016), and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS, 2006-2018). The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs were 7.8% (KNHANES, 2018), 8.8% (CHS), and 10.8% (KHP, 2016). Annual percentage change which characterizes trend for the follow-up period was -9.1%, -3.2%, and -6.8%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost were 1.2% (KNAHANES, 2018), 1.2% (CHS, 2018), 2.5% (KHP, 2016), and 0.5% (KOWEPS, 2018). Annual percentage change which characterizes trend for the follow-up period was -10.3%, -12.0%, -11.3%, and -18.8, respectively. The low-income population and the elderly population were vulnerable groups reporting the highest rate of unmet health care needs. The rate of unmet healthcare needs has been declining since the past decade, still, the disparity between different income groups and age groups suggests that there are many challenges to address.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-66
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• 2017

Objectives : This study aimed to analyze the structure and the trend of utilization and expenditure for Korean Medicine (KM) in Korea. Methods : Data were drawn from the 2008-2013 annual Korea Health Panel (Version 1.2.2), a national representative sample. We combined the data of household members with the data of outpatient KM service use. The volume of KM use was estimated based on the frequency of use and co-payment. Results : The KM utilization rate slightly increased in recent years, and it is presumed to be resulted from the increase of elderly population. Most KM outpatient visits were being concentrated in treating musculoskeletal diseases, and the procedures used frequently were acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and physical therapy. The imbalance of KM use between lower income group and higher income group was deepening. Conclusions : To expand restricted disease areas KM covered, the more herbal prescriptions should be insured and the insured form of herbal medicines need to be diversified.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 2019

Unmet healthcare needs are being used as an important indicator of the accessibility of healthcare services worldwide. To examine current status and trends of unmet needs in Korea, we used data from four sources: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2007-2017); the Community Health Survey (CHS 2008-2017); the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP 2011-2015); and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS 2006-2017). The proportion of individual reporting unmet healthcare needs as of 2017 was 8.8% (KNHANES), 10.6% (CHS), and 12.4% (KHP as of 2015). The proportion of households reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost was 0.5% (KOWEPS). Annual percentage change was -19.2%, -13.3%, -5.8%, and -13.3% respectively. Low income populations had more unmet healthcare needs than high income populations. However, unlike the last two studies, the main reason for unmet medical reasons was that there was no time regardless of income level.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.91-94
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• 2018

Unmet healthcare needs do not end with the phenomenon itself, but lead to possibilities of increased severity of illness. Missed opportunities for treatment at the right timing increase possibilities of complications, and affect prognosis of disease. To examine current status and trends of unmet needs in Korea, we used data from four sources: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES, '2007-2016); the Community Health Survey (CHS '2008-2016); the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHP '2011-2014); and the Korean Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS '2006-2016). The proportion of individual reporting unmet healthcare needs as of 2016 was 8.8% (KNHNES), 11.5% (CHS), and 12.8% (KHP, as of 2014). Annual percentage change which characterizes trend for the follow-up period was -9.9%, -3.1%, and -1.3%, respectively. The proportion of individuals reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost was 1.8% (KNHNES), 1.5% (CHS), and 3.0% (KHP). The proportion of households reporting unmet healthcare needs due to cost was 1.0% (KOWEPS). Annual percentage change was -10.0%, -15.2%, -5.4%, and -17.5%, respectively. Low income populations had more unmet healthcare needs than high income populations. Therefore, in order to improve unmet healthcare needs, it is necessary to focus on low income populations.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.37-50
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• 2015

Objective : In order to understand the scale of medicinal expenditure in the Korean medicine, an analysis has been made of Korean National Health Account and statistic archives used to estimate the Korean National Health Account and also of such archives as are contributory to learn the scale of total health expenditures in the Korean medicine. Method : From the Korean National Health Account archives, an analysis has been made of National health insurance statistic annual reports, National health insurance non-payment items, Korean Economic Census (The Service Industy Survey), and Korea Health Panel data. Moreover, in order to know the sales of overall Korean medicine clinics, relevant data have been utilized and cited from investigations into National tax statistics, Korean medicine medical institutions and Korean medicines used, and current states of medicinal herbs and Korean medicine industry. Results : It is found that the average scale of each section of the medical expenditures archives in the Korean medicine in 2012 was KRW 3.5638 billion and that the average medical expenditures in the Korean medicine derived from Total Health Expenditure, The Service Industy Survey, National tax statistic, and Korean medicine industry are approximately KRW 3.3901, 3.4796, 3.7218 and 3.9634 billion. And the average expenditures derived from National health insurance patients and Korea Health Panel data are 2.5162 and 2.2292 billion won and those from the users and consumers of Korean medicines and herbs are 5.6,461 billion won. In order to verify the appropriateness of estimated medical expenditures in the Korean medicine included in the archives, an analysis has been made of uninsured costs which come from the aggregate sales amount surveyed minus health insurance treatment expenditures and it is found that the ratio of insured costs against total health expenditures in 2006 was 50.67% and 41.92% in 2012 and that the ratio based on National tax statistics and The Service Industy Survey was 52.19% and 49.28% in 2006 and 50.54% and 50.64% in 2012 and that the ratio of uninsured costs against Korean medicines and herbs and Korean medicine industry was 37.5% and 58.27% in 2013. Conclusion : It calls for the improvement of the accuracy of an investigation into Total Health Expenditure which comprise the actual conditions of health insurance and Korea Health Panel, the development of statistic schemes for understanding and classifying medical expenditures of all the Korean medicine medicinal institutions like medicinal clinics, and enhanced methods for independent panels to comprehensively collect and analyze the number of sampled Korean medicine medical institutions.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.73-93
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of workers' human resource development and their recognition of human resource on-the-job satisfaction. A sample of 4,727 workers that was selected from Korea Labor Panel Data was analyzed by t-test and multiple regression, and was tested by causal effects among related variables. The major findings were as follows: First, the workers' recognition of their job performance level vs. educational attainment was affected by their annual income, job status, educational attainment, gender, and experiences of human resource development. Second, the workers' job satisfaction was affected by gender, age, educational attainment, health status, job status, annual income, experiences of human resource development, recognition of their job performance level vs. educational attainment, and recognition for their job availability. Third, the factors that had a causal effect on workers' job satisfaction were educational attainment, gender, age, health status, annual income, and experiences of human resource development. Above all, workers' educational attainment had a strong direct effect on job satisfaction, and annual income had a strong indirect effect on it. From these findings, it can be concluded that workers' effort and trial for development and investment of human resource played an important role in increasing job satisfaction.