The reasons for cost inflation in medical insurance expenditure are classified into demand pull inflation and cost push inflation. The former includes increase in the number of beneficiaries and utilization rate, while the latter includes increase in ...
The reasons for cost inflation in medical insurance expenditure are classified into demand pull inflation and cost push inflation. The former includes increase in the number of beneficiaries and utilization rate, while the latter includes increase in medical insurance fee and the charges per case. This study was conducted to analyze sources of increases of expenditure in medical insur-ance demonstration area by the period of 1982-1987 which was earlier than national health insur-ance and the period of national health insurance (1988-1990). The major findings were as follows: Medical expenditure in these areas increased by 9.4% (15.1%) annually between 1982 and 1990 on the basis of costant price(current price) and for this period, the yearly average increase-ing rate of expenses for outpatient care[10.5%(15.8%)] was higher than that of inpatient care [7.3%(12.6%)]. Medical expenditure increased by 6.3% (8.9%) annually between 1982 and 1987, the period of medical insurance demonstration, while it increased by 10.7% (18.9%) after implementing national health insurance (1988-1990). Medical expenditure increased by 35.9% (45.9%) between 1982 and 1987. Of this increase, 115.2% (92.1%) was attributable to the increase in the frequencies of utilization per beneficiary and 61.0% (68.1%) was due to the increase in the charges per case, but the expenditure de-creased by 76.2%(60.2%) due to the reduction in the number of beneficiaries. Between 1988 and 1990, the period of national health insurance, medical expenditure increased by 21.2% (41.4%). Of this increase, 87.5% (46.4%) was attributable to the increase in the fre-quencies of utilization per beneficiary and 52.4% (73.4%) was due to the increase in the charges per case, and of the increase in the charges per case, 69.6%(40.8%) was attributable to the in-crease in the days of visit per case. Medical expenses per person in these areas increased by 78.2% (89.0%) between 1982 and 1987. Of this increase, 76.6% (69.1%) was attributable to the increase in the frequencies of utilization per beneficiary and 23.4% (30.9%) was due to the increase in the charges per case. For this period, demand-pull factor was the major cause of the increase in medical expenses and the expenses per treatment day was the major attributable factor in cost-push inflation. Between 1988 and 1990, medical expenditure per person increased by 31.2% (53.1%). Of this increase, 60.8% (37.2%) was attributable to the demand-pull factor and 39.2% (62.8%) was due to the in-crease in the charges per case which was one of cost-push factors. In current price, the attributable rate of the charges per case which was one of cost-push fac-tors was higher than that of utilization rate in the period of national health insurance as com-pared to the period of medical insurance demonstration. In consideration of above findings, demand-pull factor led the increase in medical expenditure between 1982 and 1987, the period of medical insurance model trial, but after implementing na-tional health insurance, the attributable rate of cost-push factor was increasing gradually. Thus we may conclude that for medical cost containment, it is requested to examine the new reim-bursement method to control cost-push factor and service-intensity factor.