Health Policy Manag.  2019 Jun;29(2):184-194. 10.4332/KJHPA.2019.29.2.184.

Association of Supplementary Private Health Insurance Type with Unmet Health Care Needs

• Han JW
• Kim DJ
• Min IS
• Hahm MI

• KMID: 2453170
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4332/KJHPA.2019.29.2.184

Abstract

BACKGROUND
The extent of coverage rate of the public health insurance is still insufficient to meet healthcare needs. Private health insurance (PHI) plays a role to supplement coverage level of national health insurance in Korea. It is expected that reduce unmet need healthcare. This study was aimed to identify relationship between PHI type and the unmet healthcare need and its associated factors.
METHODS
Data were obtained from the 2014 Korea Health Panel Survey using nationally representative sample was analyzed. Respondents were 8,667 who were adults over 20 years covered by PHI but have not changed their contract. According to the enrollment form, PHI was classified into three types: fixed-benefit, indemnity, and mixed-type. To identify factors associated with unmet needs, multiple logistic regression conducted using the Andersen model factors, which are predisposing factors, enabling factors, and need factors.
RESULTS
Our analysis found that subjects who had PHI with mixed-type were less likely to experience unmet health care needs compared than those who did not have it (odds ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.98). As a result of analyzing what affected their unmet healthcare needs, the significant factors associated with unmet medical need were gender, marital status, residence in a metropolitan area, low household income, economic activity participation, self-employed insured, physically disabled, low subjective health status, and health-risk factors such as current smoking and drinking.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest that having PHI may reduce experience of unmet healthcare needs. Findings unmet healthcare needs factors according to various subjects may be useful in consideration of setting policies for improving accessibility to healthcare in Korea.

Keyword

Private health insurance; Unmet health services and needs; Korea Health Panel

MeSH Terms

Adult
Causality
Delivery of Health Care*
Diagnostic Self Evaluation
Disabled Persons
Drinking
Family Characteristics
Humans
Insurance
Insurance, Health*
Korea
Logistic Models
Marital Status
National Health Programs
Public Health
Smoke
Smoking
Surveys and Questionnaires
Smoke