• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.57-66
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• 2015

Objective : Private health insurance coverage in Korean medicine has been reduced since October 2009 for preventing unnecessary utilization. The aim of this study is to identify how private health insurance coverage reduction affects on the Korean medicine utilization. Method : We analyzed the Korea Health Panel data from 2008 to 2012. Panel negative binominal regression model was used to analyze the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and utilization of outpatient service. Panel tobit regression analysis was used to identify the relationship between private health insurance coverage reduction and health expenditure of outpatient service. Results : Private health insurance coverage reduction significantly dropped both utilization and health expenditure of outpatient service by 9%, 9.22% respectively. In addition, therapeutic utilization significantly decreased up to 10%. Conclusion : Private health insurance coverage reduction seems to have an effect to reduce both utilization and the health expenditure of Korean medicine outpatient service. This effect was more noticeable in the therapeutic utilization. Thus, more elaborate policy will be needed to prevent unnecessary utilization of Korean medicine.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1107-1116
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine awareness and satisfaction toward health insurance coverage of scaling. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 221 patients receiving scaling service from July to August, 2014. The informed consent was approved after the explanation of purpose of the study. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects, awareness toward health insurance coverage of scaling, scaling service covered by health insurance, and satisfaction with health insurance service. Results: Those recognizing the health insurance service extension accounted for 87.3 percent and 67.4 percent answered that the appropriate coverage age would be 20 years old. The recommendable frequency of scaling was once a year and this accounted for 49.3 percent. Fifty percent of the subjects thought health insurance coverage of scaling would be reasonable and 34.8 percent acquired the information from mass media. The most common service providers were dental hygienists and the length of service was from 20 to 30 minutes. The contents of service included scaling service, toothbrushing method, and oral care. The satisfaction was 4.39 points. Conclusions: The health insurance coverage of scaling will improve the oral health and quality of life in Korean adults. So the government should try to extend the scaling coverage by health insurance and the frequency of scaling.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.561-568
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• 2013

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to examine the recognition and needs on the national health insurance coverage of scaling in industry accident injury patients. National health insurance coverage of dental scaling will start in September, 2013. Methods : Subjects were 649 industrial injury patients and they completed self-reported questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20.0 for percentage, chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, post-hoc Scheffe test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient. Results : Recognition on national health insurance coverage of dental scaling was not fully known to industrial injury patients (24.5%). Highly educated and high income workers seemed to recognize national health insurance coverage of dental scaling (p<.001). Recognition for national health insurance coverage of dental scaling revealed a significance (r=.576, p<.001). Most of the industrial injury workers thought that 50,000 to 100,000 Korean Won of dental scaling fee is reasonable. The coverage of dental scaling should be more than twice over 20 years old. Conclusions : It is necessary to encourage the patients to take regular dental scaling checkup and make them know the health insurance coverage of scaling. The preventive oral health care may improve oral health care and quality of life.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.423-431
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the recognition of dental technician's about including denture into the coverage of the national health insurance. Methods: This study carried out self-administered questionnaire survey from June 10, 2012 to June 20 by having research subjects as 230 dental technician. Except 22 copies with incomplete response, 208 copies were used as the materials of final analysis. Results: The recognition of dental technician on the national health insurance of denture was 48%, but there was a low recognition on the details. The rates of dental technician who approved of the inclusion of denture into the coverage of the health insurance respectively stood at 59%. Conclusion: The coverage of the health insurance should be extended to dental medicine in a manner to satisfy dental technicians, dental service providers and receivers. Also, further studies for the extending coverage of the details are needed.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.178-184
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• 2020

Background: Korea set up a new diagnosis-related group as a demonstration project in 2009. The new diagnosis-related group was reformed in 2016. The main purpose of the study is to identify the effect of reform on coverage of national health insurance. Methods: This study collected inpatient data from a hospital that contains medical information and cost from 2015 July to 2016 June. The dependent variable was the coverage of national health insurance. The dependent variable was divided by total, internal medicine partition, surgical partition, and psychiatric partition. To analyze the effect of the reform, this study conducted an interrupted time series analysis. The final sample included 23,695. Results: The health insurance coverage of internal medicine has the highest, followed by surgery and psychiatry. The health insurance coverage of bundle payment is higher than that of unbundled payment. The proportion of bundled payment and non-benefit decreased and the proportion of unbundled payment increased. The coverage of national health insurance significantly increased after policy reform in internal medicine partition (p-value=0.0356). Conclusion: The results of the study imply that policy reform enhanced the coverage of national health insurance in internal medicine. The government needs to monitor side effects such as an increase of unbundled payment.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.185-193
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• 2016

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the recognition and satisfaction of dental care customers after 1 year national health insurance coverage of dental scaling. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 477 dental care customers in Gyeongbuk, Busan, Yangsan, and Gyeonggido from July 18 to September 30, 2014 after receiving informed consents. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects(5 items), subjective awareness of oral health(4 items), recognition of scaling(5 items), and recognition and satisfaction of scaling health insurance(5 items). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 program. Results: Those who recognized the national health insurance coverage of dental scaling accounted for 80.1 percent and 47.2 percent of them got the health insurance coverage via media advertisements. Those who received the scaling service by health insurance coverage accounted for 73.8% and 66.2% of them were very satisfied with the service. Among the customers, 91.8% were satisfied with scaling health allotment. There was a statistical significance between scaling health insurance and subjective oral condition recognition(p<0.01). Through the health insurance coverage scaling service, the oral health in Korea will improve much. Conclusions: The expansion of health insurance coverage of scaling service will provide the universal oral health care for all people. Owing to low cost service, people will actively try to come in contact with public health service in the future.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.265-279
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• 2022

Digital health is rapidly growing worldwide and its area is expanding from wellness to treatment due to digital therapeutics (DTx). This study compared DTx in the Korean context with other countries to better understand its political and practical implications. DTx is generally the same internationally, often categorized as software as a medical device. It provides evidence-based therapeutic interventions for medical disabilities and diseases. Abroad, DTx support entailed state subsidies and fundraising and national health insurance coverage. In the case of national health insurance coverage, most cases were applied to mental diseases. Moreover, in Japan, DTx related to hypertension will possibly be under discussion for national health insurance coverage in 2022. In overseas countries, coverage was decided only when the clinical effects were equivalent to those provided by existing technology, and in the UK, real usage data for DTx and associated evaluations were reflected by national health coverage determination. Prices were either determined through closed negotiations with health insurance operating agencies and manufacturers or established based on existing technology. Concerning the current situation, DTx dealing with various diseases including hypertension are expected to be developed near in the future, and the demand for use and compensation will likely increase. Therefore, it is urgent to define and prepare for DTx, relevant support systems, and health insurance coverage listings. Several support systems must be considered, including government subsidies, science/technology funds, and health insurance.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

As medical insurance had been implemented for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) from January 1, 2005, this study investigated whether there had been any change in the amount of the medical care utilization of patients who undertook MRI before and after the insurance coverage, and was to examine factors affecting the amount of medical care utilization of MRI. Data were collected from patients who undertook MRI before and after the insurance coverage for a year at a general hospital in Kyeanggi-do. $X^2$ and t-test were used for the analysis of their general characteristics, the number of MRI, and its medical costs before and after the insurance coverage, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis for the factors affecting the amount of the medical care utilization of MRI. The results of this study were as follows. First, the number of MRI after the insurance coverage was significantly decreased. Second, there was no significant difference in the total medical costs of MRI after the insurance coverage, but a significant difference was found in patient's share of medical costs. Third, six variables were found to be affecting the amount of the medical care utilization of MRI, and the variables showed to lead the number of MRI decrease after the insurance coverage. These six factors explained 21.4% of the total number of MRI. As MRI had been covered by insurance, the use of MRI and patient's share of the costs were deceased, but the total medical costs were not affected. Reasons for that could be found in that MRI insurance, different from the case of CT insurance coverage, was allowed not to cover some items and the kinds of diseases subjected to the insurance coverage were extremely limited, lowering insurance prescription rate. In addition to that, the average medical cost of MRI was not changed after the insurance coverage. Therefore, as future measures for the MRI insurance, coverage, it should be considered to allow insurance coverage to no coverage items and to expand the scope of benefit coverage, or to lower patient's share of the costs. Furthermore, researches should be done to explore how recipients will act and how suppliers will react if the coverage is expanded, including expanding the scope of coverage and reducing patient's share of the costs, as well as to conduct research on its economic analysis according to case mix.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.41-48
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• 2008

On the basis of total page, the coverage rate of education of safety and health in textbooks of elementary school was approximately 10%. In middle school, the contents of safety education were addressed mainly in subject of chemistry below about 5% of coverage rate whereas the contents of health education appeared mainly in subject of athletics below about 15% of coverage rate. Similarly, the contents of safety education and health education in textbooks of high school were indicated mainly in the subjects of chemistry and athletics, showing below about 5% and 30% of coverage rate, respectively. In conclusion, the education level of safety and health in textbooks was generally lower compared to other contents. The coverage rate of safety education was relatively lower than health education, which implicates that extensive contents related to safety education are needed to be added to textbooks in order to establish preliminary attitude for preventing workplace accident.

• 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.