• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.205-233
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• 1999

This study is an effort to make policy suggestions by analysing the current health examination program as a benefit service provided by the national health insurance system, including health screening for the insured, screening of cancer and chronic diseases for their dependents. Analyses found some issues being gave attention to; 1) The insured under the community health insurance system do not get the health examination benefit. A program for them should be set to have equity in benefit services. 2) Low rates of using screen services compromise purpose and the efficiency the services have first intended to. An immediate attention should be made to increase low rate of use of screen test to detect chronic diseases in particular. 3) Selection of diseases and test items covered by health examination program does not reflect the need of the insured, but to reflect financial resources of the national health insurance system. 4) Lack of health screening facilities and their geographical maldistribution is observed, which with preference of a general hospital as a screening post by the insured may lead to unreliable test. 5) A follow-up system should have been developed for the suspected classified by test results of carrying chronic diseases. They should be cared for within the health examination program. Public health care systems incorporate such a system, along with caring for those who are in need of having a health counselling on preventive care. In conclusion, the national health insurance system should be a medical insurance of giving a higher priority on preventive care benefits, health examination program in particular. That could be done by making rearrangements of test items, screening methods and system, rationalizing current reimbursement system of service fee, increasing accessibility to and utilization of the services, and making an establishment of follow-up system.

• The Korean Nurse
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• v.16 no.2 s.88
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• pp.37-40
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• 1977

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-38
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• 2012

This study is to find out the correlation among the predisposing, enabling, and need factors in Anderson Behavioral Model using the data from Korea Medical Panel Survey conducted in the early part (April 1 - October 31) of 2008. The findings are as follows. It was found that the utilization rate of western medical service was far higher. the influential factor to choose western or oriental medical service taking western medical institutions as the reference group, the influential factor to choose oriental medical institution has significantly increased when the patient who have covered by medical insurance has one accompanied disease and their age was between 45 - 74, compared to the people less than 45 years old. It also increased when the age of the patient was between 45-54 years old, and in the event those who are not covered by medical insurance have accompanied disease and that the disease mobility period is 2-4 years. reviewing the several characteristics of the utilization of western and oriental medical services by the patient with musculoskeletal system disorders, the number of accompanied disease is an influential factor for the utilization of oriental medical services. And, disease mobility period is a significant factor for the utilization of both western and oriental medical services together, though it is not identified in this study. Therefore, it is expected that mutual cooperation between western and oriental medical services is more required for the patient with musculoskeletal system disorders as the aging society rapidly develops. In order to foster oriental medicine, it is required to specialize in competitive disease such as musculoskeletal system disorders.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.48
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• pp.359-402
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• 2002

In Korea we should prepare for the exploding need to nursing according to the rapid change to the aged society. Therefore the german model; of "Pflegeversicherung (a nursing social insurance)" which is introduced in 1995, could help us to plan for the aged society in next Years. In Germany the discussion about the proper measures against the need to nursing as social risk was begun in early 1990s. The need to nursing was thought as social risk because of the aged society, the burden of the family member who take the responsibility for the nursing, and the fiscal crisis of social assistance system which was caused to the exploding cost of nursing for the poor people. Among the some alternatives the "Pflegeversichrung" as a social insurance model! with the' pay-as-you-go system' was introduced step by step in the years of 1995 and 1996. Such german modell was possible on the basis of the stabil social insurance system, especially medical insurance system, the corporatism between the employer and the employee and the developed democratic political system in which the compromise is achieved at the cost of all concerned parties. In Korea we have no experience as like in Germany. But, in Korea, we can start more effectively to look after the possibility of any system which helps the people with need to nursing, when we have understood the factors in policy-making for the introduction of "Pflegeversicherung."

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.185-196
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• 2015

Background: Issues concerning with the classification accuracy of Korean Outpatient Groups (KOPGs) have been raised by providers and researchers. The KOPG is an outpatient classification system used to measure casemix of outpatient visits and to adjust provider risk in charges by the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service in managing insurance payments. The objective of this study were to refine KOPGs to improve the classification accuracy and to evaluate the refinement. Methods: We refined the rules used to classify visits with multiple procedures, newly defined chemotherapy drug groups, and modified the medical visit indicators through reviews of other classification systems, data analyses, and consultations with experts. We assessed the improvement by measuring % of variation in case charges reduced by KOPGs and the refined system, Enhanced KOPGs (EKOPGs). We used claims data submitted by providers to the HIRA during the year 2012 in both refinement and evaluation. Results: EKOPGs explicitly allowed additional payments for multiple procedures with exceptions of packaging of routine ancillary services and consolidation of related significant procedures, and discounts ranging from 30% to 70% were defined in additional payments. Thirteen chemotherapy drug KOPGs were added and medical visit indicators were streamlined to include codes for consultation fees for outpatient visits. The % of variance reduction achieved by EKOPGs was 48% for all patients whereas the figure was 40% for KOPGs, and the improvement was larger in data from tertiary and general hospitals than in data from clinics. Conclusion: A significant improvement in the performance of the KOPG was achieved by refining payments for visits with multiple procedures, defining groups for visits with chemotherapy, and revising medical visit indicators.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.261-271
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• 2021

Background: In 2018, the government increased the fee for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image deciphering services of the external hospital to discourage the redundant MRI scan and to induce appropriate use of the MRI services. It is important to evaluate the effect of the policy to provide the basis for establishing other MRI-related policies. Methods: The healthcare data of the patients who had brain MRI scans were organized by episode and analyzed using the panel study in order to find out the effect of the MRI-related policy on the substitution effect and the medical expenses. Results: As a result of the increase in the fee of deciphering the MRI image, there has been an uplift in deciphering the MRI scan of the external hospital. It implies that more hospitals chose to use the MRI scan taken by other clinics or hospitals, rather than the MRI scan taken at their own facilities. Conclusion: The research results imply that a policy that facilitates the exchange of the medical image data between the hospitals is needed in order to establish an efficient management system of the healthcare resources. Such improvement is expected to reduce the social cost and contribute to the stability in the finance of national health insurance.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.65-71
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine people's awareness of health insurance in a bid to help improve the management of dental health insurance coverage. The subjects in this study were 1,036 people who included experts in that field and medical consumers. The findings of the study were as follows: 1. In regard to the demographic characteristics of the expert group including gender and age, the female experts outnumbered the males, as the former accounted for 84.7 percent. And the experts in their 20s made up the largest age group, followed by the 30-39 age group and those in their 40s. As to the demographic characteristics of the medical consumers, the rates of the men and women stood at 49.8 percent and 50.2 percent respectively, which were similar. By age, the largest number of the medical consumers were in their 20s, followed by in their 30s and in their 40s. 2. Concerning opinions on the procurement of finance for health insurance, many respondents in both groups agreed that the health insurance coverage should be enlarged by securing more finance, and that items involved in the coverage should be prioritized again. Regarding a means of securing financial resources, the experts placed the most emphasis on extended budgetary support from the government, followed by establishing a social security system and budget compilation by local governments. The medical consumers attached the most importance to extended budgetary backing from the government, followed by budget compilation by local governments and determining contribution according to income level. 3. As for general view of the dental health insurance, the experts believed that the amounts of copayment and self-payment by the insured were appropriate(2.47), and they found the number of benefitted items to be proper(2.29) as well. The medical consumers thought that the benefit percentage of the dental health insurance in the overall health insurance budget was appropriate(2.26), and they also considered the number of benefitted items adequate(2.16). But this group didn't give a lot of marks to the appropriateness of those things. 4. As to perception about the dental health insurance, both groups took a similar view of it. Specifically, they felt the strong need for a dental health insurance system. In terms of satisfaction level, both groups were dissatisfied with it, and there was a strong tendency for them to be discontented with the health insurance coverage.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.178-183
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• 2012

We investigated the latest trend of u-Health and relations with clinical technologist. Since 2000, Korea has become an aging society. Korea will become an aged society by 2018, and it is expected to enter the ultra-high aged society by 2026. Increase in over 65 years population means that the desire of medical service and care demand for the elderly is greatly required. In addition, many predicted Korean national health insurance would falter financially. Medical suppression policies and regulations are also amended continuously. U-Health based on the IT industry and development of related technologies and industries contains the variety concepts of telemedicine, telehealth, e-health, u-healthcare and POCT. Especially, the use of POCT supplied quick clinical examination is extending steadily in medical center and hospital, which will generate the field friction between nurses and medical technologists. In the transition situation from provider-centric service to consumer-driven health care system, this study recommended the principal role and correspondence of clinical laboratory workers and offered information about changes in healthcare market and the basic concept of expert system, measurement and the diagnosis principle to clinical technicians throughout the investigation of the recent research and government policy trends.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.243-252
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• 2023

This paper aims to introduce Korea's total current health expenditure (CHE) and National Health Accounts of the year 2021 and their 2022 preliminary figures constructed on the basis of the System of Health Accounts 2011. As CHE includes expenditures for prevention, tracking, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compensation for losses to medical institutions from 2020, the details are also introduced. Korea's total CHE in 2021 is 193.3 trillion won, which is 9.3% of gross domestic product (GDP). The preliminary figure in 2022, 209.0 trillion won, exceeded the 200 trillion won line for the first time, and its "ratio to GDP" of 9.7% is expected to exceed the average of Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development member countries for the first time. Korea's health expenditures, which were well controlled until the end of the 20th century, have increased at an alarming rate since the beginning of the 21st century, threatening the sustainability of national health insurance. The increase in health expenditure after 2020 is partly due to a temporary increase in response to COVID-19. However, when considering the structure of Korea's health insurance price hike, where the ratchet effect of increased medical expenses works particularly strongly, it is unlikely that the accelerating growth trend that has lasted for more than 20 years will stop easily. More aggressive policies to control medical expenses are required in the national health insurance which not only constitutes the main financing sources of the Korean health system but also has the most powerful policy means in effect for changes in the health care provision.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.89-110
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• 2012

No-fault automobile insurance system is a statutory scheme to provide automobile accident victims with compensation for certain expenses arising from personal injuries occurring in car accidents. New York State has enacted No-Fault Law to ensure that the injured in automobile accidents be paid rapidly by their own insurance company for medical expenses, lost earnings regardless of fault, replacing common law system of reparation for personal injuries under tort law. Its primary purpose is to facilitate compensation without the need to exhaust time-consuming litigation over establishing the existence of fault and the extent of damages. No-Fault Law allows arbitration as a method for settling the no-fault insurance disputes. No-fault arbitration, however, differs in a significant way from general arbitration system. First, No-Fault Law provides the parties with the option to submit any dispute involving no-fault automobile insurance to arbitration. Second, no-fault arbitration attempts to speed its procedure incorporating various methods. Third, the parties are required to seek review of arbitral awards by master arbitrator prior to seeking court's review. Fourth, the parties have right to bring de novo action in court if master arbitrator's award exceeds $5,000. Given the current state of law in Korea, it may not be easy to introduce no-fault arbitration system into Korea in the context of automobile insurance disputes settlement as its law has a long-established reparation system based on tort liability and no-fault arbitration system has its own features that differ from general arbitration system. Nonetheless, it could be suggested that no-fault arbitration be introduced in other fields which require speedy dispute resolution and a third party's decision to settle the disputes. The optional right of submitting disputes to arbitration as provided by No-Fault Law of New York State may offer a ground to supprot the effectiveness of an optional arbitration agreement.