J Korean Med Assoc.  2017 Apr;60(4):286-288. 10.5124/jkma.2017.60.4.286.

Health policy for the people

• Lee YM

• KMID: 2378209
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2017.60.4.286

Abstract

After the 19th South Korean presidential election was scheduled to be held on May 9, 2017, a number of presidential candidates have rushed to announce their health policies. Regardless of the presidential candidate, almost all health policies have tended to focus on fragmentary pledges. Thus, the Research Institute for Healthcare Policy (RIHP), which is part of the Korean Medical Association (KMA), has selected 5 key policy issues among the 25 health policies that were developed through the planning group for health policy development: the development and passage of the Special Act on Supporting Primary Care, the establishment of a health care delivery system, the independence of the Ministry of Healthcare from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the implementation of the right to choose prescription drugs, and progress toward addressing the problems faced by the National Health Insurance program. In addition, the KMA has launched a presidential engagement campaign in order to reinforce its political status, as well as to encourage KMA members to participate in politics. I hope that this paper provides guidance in making correct decisions from a public health perspective, and am confident that this election will help medicine to develop in the right direction.

Keyword

Health policy; Pledge; National health programs; Public health; Medical reformation

MeSH Terms

Academies and Institutes
Delivery of Health Care
Health Policy*
Hope
National Health Programs
Politics
Prescription Drugs
Primary Health Care
Public Health
Prescription Drugs

Figure

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  Figure 1 Estimated conservation cost by type of health care services. Reproduced from Kim TH. A research of conservation cost system in National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital: the 2nd research. Goyang: National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital; 2016 [1]. ABC, activity-based costing; RBRVS, resource based relative value scale.

Reference

1. Kim TH. A research of conservation cost system in National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital: the 2nd research. Goyang: National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital;2016.

2. Lee CS. The report of Adjustment of Resource Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS). Wonju: Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service;2006.

3. Shin YS. A study on government subsidies related to national health insurance system. Sejong: Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs;2016.

4. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. OECD health data [Internet]. Paris: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development;2017. cited 2017 Mar 30. Available from: http://stats.oecd.org/index.aspx?DataSetCode=HEALTH_STAT.