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KMID : 1170320120180040021
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Korean Journal of Health Economics and Policy
2012 Volume.18 No. 4 p.21 ~ p.39
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Changes in the level and the composition of health expenditures by income levels
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Jung Youn
Huh Soon-Im
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Abstract
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Limited coverage of the National Health Insurance leads to high out-of-pocket payment for health care. This study investigated changes in health expenditures by income level. Data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey from 2003 through 2011 were analyzed and total household expenditure excluding health expenditure was used as a proxy measure for income. The unit of analysis was household. We examined changes in spending for inpatient care, ambulatory care, and prescription drugs as well as total health expenditures, taking account of income level. Findings indicate that there are differences in financial burden for total health expenditures and differential changes by health services across income levels. First, financial burden for health expenditures in the lowest income group increased higher than that in other income groups. Second, while highest increase in spending for inpatient care was found in the highest income group, spending for prescription drugs increased highest in the lowest income group. Spending for ambulatory care increased similarly across income levels. Difference in health expenditures between the highest and the lowest income group can be attributed to the difference in inpatient care spending, which would be related to substantial non-covered services. In addition, it suggests that people in low income group have limited access and utilization for health care services except for prescription drugs. The results call for more generous catastrophic coverage and extend covered services to assure better access to health services and decrease in financial burden for health care in low income group.
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KEYWORD
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health expenditures, household, income level
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