J Korean Med Sci.  2012 May;27(Suppl):S41-S46. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.S.S41.

Role of Healthcare in Korean Long-Term Care Insurance

• Kang IO
• Park CY
• Lee Y

• KMID: 1714487
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.S.S41

Abstract

With the rapid aging of the population, Korea introduced public long-term care insurance for older people in 2008. The long-term care insurance was designed as a separate scheme from the national health insurance, with eligibility qualifications and the certification process based on functional disability, benefits and coverage of community-based and institutional care, and a financing structure through multi-party contributions. Delivering appropriate health services to long-term care beneficiaries who manifest a high prevalence of comorbid chronic conditions with rising healthcare costs, however, presents a particular challenge. The lack of coordination between the health and long-term care sectors, limited consideration of physicians' assessments in the certification process, inadequate provision of health services in long-term care facilities, and overlapping and inefficient use of care resources act as barriers to providing comprehensive healthcare for older beneficiaries. Through active participation in the long-term care system, health professionals can help older patients navigate through the complex long-term care terrain to obtain quality healthcare.

Keyword

Aged; Delivery of Healthcare; Health Services; Insurance; Long-Term Care

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Delivery of Health Care/*economics
Disability Evaluation
Humans
Insurance, Long-Term Care/*economics
Middle Aged
National Health Programs/economics

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Trends in healthcare expenditures of long-term care insurance (LTCI) beneficiaries (Source: Kang et al., 2008).

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