• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.513-522
• /
• 2019

Background: South Korea operates a Medical Aid (MA) program targeting selected low-income individuals to ensure medical service delivery to the disadvantaged while enhancing self-sufficiency of work-capable beneficiaries. However, as reasons behind welfare exits are diverse and do not always infer poverty relief or the provision of appropriate levels of health care services, this study aimed to investigate the association between changes in MA status and health care utilization. Methods: This study used the 2006 to 2015 National Health Insurance claims data. The impact of changes in annual MA status on health care utilization (yearly number of outpatient visits, inpatient visits, length of stay, and emergency department [ED] visits) was investigated using the generalized estimating equation model. Results: In 117,943 adult subjects aged 20 to 64, compared to the 'MA to MA' group, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed general decreases in utilization (outpatient visits: β=-3.93, p<0.0001; hospital admissions: relative risk [RR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83-0.91; length of stay: β=-3.64, p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.77-0.90). Similar patterns were found in the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (outpatient visits: β=-5.72, p<0.0001; admissions: RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.94; length of stay: β=-5.87; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.88). Likewise, in 74,747 older adult subjects aged 65 or above, the 'MA to MA exit' group showed reduced levels of utilization (outpatient visits: β=-1.51; p=0.0020), as well as the 'MA exit to MA exit' group (admissions: RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95; length of stay: β, -5.45; p<0.0001; ED visits: RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.83-0.97). Conclusion: MA exit was associated with general decreases in health care utilization. Utilization patterns of individuals with experiences of receiving MA benefits should be monitored to promote the ideal use of health care services while preventing potential financial barriers present in accessing medical care.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
• /
• v.15 no.3
• /
• pp.1-8
• /
• 2013

The housing policy of Korea has been pushed with a focus on the middle-class. This contributed to alleviate the absolute lack problem of housing, but this program for the housing policy of low-income brackets is also true as insufficient attention. Thanks to Bulk supply-oriented housing policy, the rising penetration of housing and living conditions are improving as a whole, but low-income housing problem has been exacerbated by a relative. National and local government will solve the residential housing problem of low-income brackets by expanding welfare programs, but the quality of existing housing issues and the alternative policy are regarded as insufficient. Homeless households in Korea are still nearly 400 million, Housing costs higher than income weighted for buying a home and rent payments of low-income brackets. In this study, I investigated the concept of low-income housing welfare and housing policy changes. This paper is aimed to present the basic data through the investigation and analysis residential status of low-income brackets.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.62 no.1
• /
• pp.109-132
• /
• 2010

This study examined the effects of depression by household's economic factors with income levels using the wave 1, 2 of Korean Welfare Panel Study. As a result, changes in income satisfaction have significant effects on depression levels. In non-poor households, the income and comsumption expenditure have effects on depression levels. But poor households do not have any effects. Among the control variables, age, marital status, and education level are influential factors on the depression levels. Based on the results, the author was able to recognize the economic factors in household that influnce the depression levels. and The policy directios for household's economic support were discussed.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.67 no.1
• /
• pp.83-107
• /
• 2015

The present study examines the development of self-esteem from young adulthood to old age, as well as predictors of change in self-esteem over time. The eight waves of Korean Welfare Panel Data(KOWEPS) were used for analyses, and a nationally representative sample of 15,511 individual aged 19 years and above were included. The multilevel growth curve model was specified to address the research questions. The result shows that the self-esteem trajectory differed across different age groups with those in early adulthood and adulthood showed an increasing linear trajectories while the old age showed a declining slope. Furthermore, predictors of changes in self-esteem also differed across the age groups that while depression and relationship variables were constant in predicting self-esteem change for all three age groups, some variables such as marital status, poverty status, and employment status predicted individuals in certain age groups. Such results demonstrate the need to understand and examine the change in self-esteem at the individual level.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
• /
• v.64 no.2
• /
• pp.55-83
• /
• 2012

Self-employment rate is high in Korean labor market, while the income gap within self-employed is also high. Although, there are very few studies that addressed on the income inequality of self-employed. Thus, this study has measured the earnings inequality of self-employed by generalized entropy indices and decomposed inequality factor and trend. The empirical study is based on Korea Welfare Panel Study wave 1~4. The main result from this analysis is summarized in three points. Firstly, earnings inequality of self-employed is severely high and the earnings polarization within self-employed has become more serious in Korea. Secondly, this study provides the evidence that the main factor of earnings inequality of self-employed is the status of self-employment, education level, age group, workplace scale and industry. Thirdly, the contribution of relative changes in the incomes of the status of self-employment is the largest to the inequality trend. In terms of education level, age group and industry, the increase of inequality within group(pure effect) mainly attributes to the rise of earnings inequality of self-employed and the change effect of group composition contributes to deterioration of inequality.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.203-226
• /
• 2010

Using the Korean Welfare Panel Study, this study examines the labor-market activities of uninsured persons and discusses policy implications for reforming the National Pension Scheme in Korea. First, despite the short observation period, the data show that pension status is not a static state and can be better understood in terms of dynamic processes. Second, in addition to frequent changes in income-earning activities, complex criteria for pension coverage cause substantial transitions in pension status. Third, a portion of uninsured persons involve in income-earning activities but they tend to face poor working conditions as well as unstable employment. Overall, this study suggests that building solid foundations for developing a financially sustainable and reliable social protection system is more important than rapid increase in pension coverage.

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

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
• /
• v.19 no.6
• /
• pp.224-232
• /
• 2010

This paper aims to identify the characteristics and the current situation of the architectural characteristics, children's characters using facilities, and status of management and utilization by surveying 'Day Service for Children' in Tokyo-do. First, About the status of management and utilization, 'Day Service for Children' is operated by a local government, NPO corporate group and social welfare corporate. There are not big differences of the care program or running hours depending on operating principals but there are differences depending on staff organization, number of children and space constitution. Also, infants ratio at 'Day Service for Children' is high for the purpose of detecting disability early and supporting their development early. They have diverse disabilities but developmental disabilities' ratios high and most children are using both this facility and normal nursery centers together. Samples for proper child care based on status of space constitutions were installing lock, raising door knobs and using softer floor materials which are for children's safety. For the problem of space utilization, most comments were about lack of space which is not enough for teaching and training materials. Therefore, as an example, observation rooms for parents and teachers were sometimes used as storages and it changes teachers' moving direction, staying area and behavior zone. The programs of 'Day Service for Children' are divided to group teaching and private one. It will be the best if they have separate spaces such as group class room, private class room and play room. When they were operated by NPO corporate group or Social welfare corporate, there are many cases that their space was not properly zoned for each activity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.13
• /
• pp.5287-5291
• /
• 2014

Background: The cancer survival rate in Korea has substantially increased, necessitating the management of not only patients with cancer but also longer term survivors. Although the divorce rate has drastically increased in Korea, there is not sufficient research regarding the relationship between changes in marital status and quality of life (QOL) in cancer patients and survivors. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationship between marital status and QOL in such cases. Materials and Methods: This study was performed using the Community Health Survey of 2008 administered by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (N=169,328). We used t-tests and Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables between men and women, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare QOL scores among comparison groups. We also performed a multilevel analysis on the relationship between QOL and marital status while accounting for provincial differences. Results: Decline of EuroQOL five dimensions (EQ-5D) in single patients with cancer was greater than in any other marital status group, but there was no statistically significant decline in survivors of cancer with regard to marital status. In the general population, the decline of EQ-5D was higher among single people than married people. Using the EuroQOL visual analog scale (EQ-VAS), single people had higher values than those of other marital status among both patients with cancer and survivors of cancer. In the general population, EQ-VAS values were higher for single people compared to married people. Conclusions: There may be a significant relationship between marital status and QOL in cancer patients and survivors. Policy interventions to manage patients with cancer who experience a decline in QOL as well as marital problems should be conducted.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.95-111
• /
• 2010

The purposes of this study were to show general trends in the aspects of psychological family environment (parental communication), peer factor, academic performance factor, depression perceived by adolescents and to examine possible changes in such trends in accordance with demographic variables and the family structure environment (parental marital status, family economic status, and parents' education level), and then to determine the effect of these variables on adolescents' depression. The subjects were 1009 middle and high school students in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. The main results were as follows: 1) Paternal communication was significantly lower in technical high school students, divorced/ separated parents, and families of lower economic status. Maternal communication was significantly lower in male students, divorced/sepa-rated parents, and families of lower economic status. Academic performance problems was significantly higher in males, technical high school students, divorced/ separated parents, families of lower economic status, and a less educated father. Peer relations was significantly lower in students of divorced / separated parents, and of families of lower economic status. Depression was significantly higher in technical high school students, divorced / separated parents, and families of lower economic status. 2) In the case of male students, paternal communication had both a direct and an indirect negative effect through peer relations on depression, while academic performance problems had both a direct and an indirect positive effect through peer relations on depression. Both peer relations and maternal communication had a positive and a negative direct effect on depression. School grade had both a direct and an indirect negative effect through paternal communication on depression. Parental marital status(divorced or separated) had both a direct and an indirect positive effect through academic performance problems on depression. Family economic status had only an indirect effect on discussed.