|
KMID : 1124020130290020289
|
|
Korean Social Security Studies
2013 Volume.29 No. 2 p.289 ~ p.309
|
|
|
Health Care Reforms in Oregon and Implications for Enhancement of National Health Insurance Coverage in Korea
|
|
Jung Youn
Woo Hye-young
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
As individual burden on medical expense has considerably increased, much debate has recently focused on issues of extending benefit coverage of National Health Insurance. In this study, we review recent reforms of Medicaid in the state of Oregon in the US and critically evaluate the outcomes. One of the essential changes in the reforms is that the Oregon government intended to extend Medicaid to more people by covering fewer services. In addition, it incorporated various social sectors, including lay persons, in prioritizing health care services covered by Medicaid. However, our review also reveals that the reforms have not been carried out successfully yet, because of several important reasons. First, utilization rates by Medicaid beneficiaries were low partly due to increased copayment for the services. More importantly, Oregon government failed to secure a sufficient budget for providing extended services through Medicaid. The Oregon Medicaid reforms provide an important empirical case suggesting that while extension of the health care services under Medicaid and inclusion of beneficiaries are still critical, we may end up following in the footsteps of Oregon if we do not implement: 1) affordable health care services that can better serve for potential beneficiaries who are in various medical needs; and 2) long term plans for sustainable financing.
|
|
|
KEYWORD
|
|
|
Oregon Medicaid, health care reform, coverage, financing
|
|
|
FullTexts / Linksout information
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listed journal information
|
|
|
|