Abstract
BackgroundThe prevalence and economic burden of chronic diseases are increasing worldwide. Nevertheless, little information is available on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) associated with chronic diseases in Korea. This study explored the burden of household out-of-pocket health expenditures among the Korean population for different chronic diseases.MethodsThis study was conducted utilizing data collected from the 7,006 households that participated in the Korea Health Panel Survey (KHPS) in 2008. The effect of CHE in relation to type of chronic disease was assessed via multiple logistic regression analysis.ResultsRoughly 3.5% of the participating households experienced CHE. As opposed to households headed by females and middle-aged individuals (40–59 years), those of low economic status, elderly households, and households with a member who suffered from a chronic disease were more likely to experience CHE. According to type of chronic condition, households with a member who suffered from cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease were at a significantly higher risk of experiencing CHE.ConclusionAlthough Korea has greatly expanded its health insurance coverage, financial protection against CHE remains a concern. Policy-makers need to focus on expanding benefits according to the economic burden of individual chronic conditions.
Highlights
The prevalence and economic burden of chronic diseases are increasing worldwide
To identify factors associated with catastrophic health expenditure and, in particular, to examine the relationship between chronic diseases and catastrophic health expenditure, we conducted multiple logistic regression analysis
We found that catastrophic health expenditure was more frequent in households headed by women than men (5.6 vs. 3.2%)
Summary
Little information is available on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE) associated with chronic diseases in Korea. This study explored the burden of household out-of-pocket health expenditures among the Korean population for different chronic diseases. Most studies on the impact of health insurance in Korea have found that insurance has had only a modest effect on reducing out-of-pocket (OOP) payments [1,2,3,4]. The modest impact of insurance coverage on financial protection reflects the fact that people with health insurance are still paying quite high OOP payments. A high proportion of individual or family contributions typically indicate inequality issues in health and medical treatment systems, in health finance systems. A high OOP burden with respect to income could result in financial catastrophe for individuals or households [8]. High expenditures could lead to a reduction in spending on basic goods, such as food, while decreasing money available for education [9]
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