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The effect of extension of benefit coverage for cancer patients on health care utilization across different income groups in South Korea

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  • Sujin Kim
  • Soonman Kwon

Abstract

To provide financial protection against catastrophic illness, the Korean government expanded the National Health Insurance (NHI) benefit coverage for cancer patients in 2005. This paper examined whether the policy improved the income-related equality in health care utilization. This study analyzed the extent to which the policy improved income-related equality in outpatient visits, inpatient days, and inpatient and outpatient care expenditure based on triple difference estimator. Using nationwide claims data of the NHI from 2002 to 2004 and from 2006 to 2010, we compared cancer patients as a treatment group with liver disease as a control group and low-income group with the highest-income group. The results showed that the extension of NHI benefits coverage led to an increase in the utilization of outpatient services across all income groups, but with a greater increase for the low-income groups, among cancer patients. Moreover, the policy led to a less decrease in the utilization of inpatient services for the low-income group while it decreased across all income groups. Our finding suggests that the extension of NHI benefits coverage improved the income-related equality in health care utilization. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Sujin Kim & Soonman Kwon, 2014. "The effect of extension of benefit coverage for cancer patients on health care utilization across different income groups in South Korea," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 161-177, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ijhcfe:v:14:y:2014:i:2:p:161-177
    DOI: 10.1007/s10754-014-9144-y
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    1. Kim, Sujin & Kwon, Soonman, 2015. "Impact of the policy of expanding benefit coverage for cancer patients on catastrophic health expenditure across different income groups in South Korea," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 241-247.
    2. Chaofan Li & Lei Dou & Haipeng Wang & Shanshan Jing & Aitian Yin, 2017. "Horizontal Inequity in Health Care Utilization among the Middle-Aged and Elderly in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-13, July.
    3. Kim, Sujin & Kwon, Soonman, 2014. "Has the National Health Insurance improved the inequality in the use of tertiary-care hospitals in Korea?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(3), pages 377-385.
    4. Han, Kyu-Tae & Kim, Jeeyun & Nam, Chung Mo & Moon, Ki Tae & Lee, Sang Gyu & Kim, Seung Ju & Ju, Yeong Jun & Kwon, Jeoung A & Kim, Sun Jung & Kim, Woorim & Park, Eun-Cheol, 2016. "Association between reduction in copayment and gastric cancer patient concentration to the capital area in South Korea: NHI cohort 2003–2013," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(6), pages 580-589.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Health care utilization; Cancer; Universal coverage; Income-related equality; South Korea; I13; I14; I18;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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