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KMID : 1142920230070010012
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Public Health Affairs
2023 Volume.7 No. 1 p.12 ~ p.12
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COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on health expenditure
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Lee Yu-Jin
Lee Do-Kyoung
Choi Yeon-Mi
Kim Ji-Woo
Lee Hye-Jin
Lee Jin-Yong
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Abstract
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Purpose: The large-scale spread of COVID-19 has led to a burden on the national healthcare financial system. This study assessed the medical cost of COVID-19 hospitalizations and its effect on national health expenditures in Korea and investigated the factors that affected the cost of hospitalization for COVID-19 patients.
Methods: A total of 23,812 COVID-19 patients were reported as of September 30, 2020. 18,854 cases of COVID-19 hospitalization were claimed by The Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service with a total of 14,283 inpatients.
Results: From January to September 2020, the total cost of treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Korea was 79,277,000 USD. The mean cost per case was 4,284 USD (IQR, 649-5,257). Medical costs were high in the elderly, those with severe symptoms, medical aid beneficiaries, and those who died during treatment. The mean length of hospital stay of COVID-19 patients was 17.3 days (IQR 9-23) and was high in women, the elderly, medical aid beneficiaries, and patients in Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk provinces. The differences in medical costs between sex, age, insurance, region, treatment result, and length of stay groups according to severity were significant for all variables. Moreover, the mean costs per case and per day were higher in medical aid beneficiaries than those subscribed to health insurance (P<.05).
Conclusions: In Korea, the medical cost for treatment of COVID-19 patients was low compared to that of other countries, as well as the treatment cost for the H1N1 influenza in Korea. Factors affecting the medical cost of COVID-19 treatment included age, severity, type of insurance, and treatment results. Additional follow-up studies that also include the cost of screening and quarantine in the analysis of medical costs are necessary.
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KEYWORD
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SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Health expenditures, Length of stay, Korea
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