With the introduction of Resource Based Relative Value Scale(RBRVS) System into Korea in 2001, the medical charge is calculated as multiplying RBRVS by conversion factor. Presently the conversion factor of medical charge is classified as hospital, cl...
With the introduction of Resource Based Relative Value Scale(RBRVS) System into Korea in 2001, the medical charge is calculated as multiplying RBRVS by conversion factor. Presently the conversion factor of medical charge is classified as hospital, clinical hospital, dentistry, traditional oriental medicine and pharmacy, and separate contracts are made accordingly.
This kind of classification considers just medical institution's characteristics, instead of medical services' property in calculating medical charges. As the medical cost structure of each medical service is different, mediation rate for conversion factor has to be changed rationally.
Classification according to the size or characteristics of medical institution has a certain limit. However there's no way which can reflect the medical charge construction of each medical servicein the conversion factor contract, for no study has yet been made of Cost Structure of Medical Procedures, thus providing no logical basis for it.
This study tried to provide data base for improving types of medical charge contracts by doing such efforts as: examining the cost structure of National Health Insurance medical services using data through the study of Resource-Based Relative Value Scale(2006); grouping medical services based on similar medical charge constructionto suggest medical service types requiring separate conversion factor contracts.
With the result of this study that gathered similar medical services together, grouping them as surgery, medical care, types of examination, etc., and then reviewed thetypes of medical services and the types of department's cost structure, I've come to the following conclusions.
First, the result confirmed the characteristics of the cost structure of medical procedures by types and departments of medical services.
Secondly, the result enabled the unification of types and departments of medical services on the basis of similarities of medical charges.
Thirdly, the result was evaluated as an improved classification of medical services for conversion factor contract.
This study presented the 7 large groups which were reduced from the 79 groups resulted from combining types and departments of medical services. The 7 large groups divided by nature for the contract of medical care cost are as follows.
(1) type 1: the medical service group mainly consisted of high personnel expenses of medical specialists
(2) type 2: the medical service group consisted of both high personnel expenses of medical specialists and other staffs
(3) type 3: the medical service group consisted of both high personnel expenses of other staffs and medical specialists
(4) type 4: the medical service group mainly consisted of high personnel expenses of other staffs
(5) type 5: the medical service group consisted of high expenses of equipment and medical specialists
(6) type 6: the medical service group mainly consisted of high expenses of equipment
(7) type 7: the medical service group consisted of high expenses of material costs
The result from the significant analysis of overemphasized input expenditures through the analysis by medical charge constructions for both medical service groups and departments brought about an improvement of a classification of types. It will improve the classification of types for conversion factor contract along with contracts by type and department considering characteristics of medical institutions