Chung Ang University publishes research in public health

A report, 'Developments and general features of national health insurance in Korea,' is newly published data in Social Work In Public Health. According to a study from Seoul, Korea, "The purpose of this paper is to examine the unique features and current issues of National Health Insurance (NHI) in Korea and to propose future tasks and recommendations. NHI has improved the equity of insurance contributions and the efficiency of managerial operations by converting a society-based corporatist system with multiple insurers into a unified managed system with a single insurer."

"In addition, fast expansion of NHI coverage to the entire population has improved the national health security level due to better health care service accessibility. At present, NHI is facing questionable sustainability of its funding due to population aging and improvements in medical technology," wrote K.S. Kim and colleagues, Chung Ang University (see also Public Health).

The researchers concluded: "In the future, NHI will need to reduce the co-payment rate by intensifying the health security guarantee and by enhancing the sustainability of insurance financing through an improved payment system."

Kim and colleagues published their study in Social Work In Public Health (Developments and general features of national health insurance in Korea. Social Work In Public Health, 2010;25(2):142-57).

For more information, contact K.S. Kim, Chung-Ang University, Dept. of Social Welfare, Seoul, Korea.