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  Organisation of the Korean Health Care System

  This chapter describes the main actors of the system (the population/ patients; the providers; and the "third party" insurers) and the relationships between them. First it illustrates how people pay for health services and insure themselves against the risk of ill health, and the relationship between the population and the third party payers which offer such protection (Section 1.1). Second, it describes how service provision is organised and the relationship between patients and providers (Section 1.2). Third, it explains the role of third party payers and how health funds are allocated from insurers to service providers (Section 1.3). Last, it reviews the role of government in the Korean health care sector (Section 1.4)...

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  Monetary and Real Flows in the Korean Health System

  This chapter presents the flow of resources across the three key components of the Korean health care system described in Chapter 1.* The purpose is twofold. First, the health care system is described as an exchange and production  process. Monetary flows are exchanged against services, for example a combination of social health insurance expenditure, government expenditure and out-of-pocket payments are exchanged for inpatient and outpatient health care services, drugs, and, to a minor extent, population health services (Section 2.1). Payments for health care services represent the remuneration of the inputs necessary to produce the services (Section 2.2.1). These inputs, such as the medical workforce and hospital beds, are combined into a production process (Section 2.2.2). The health care system is committed to improving health outcomes (Section 3.1, Chapter 3) which, in part, derive from the quality and quantity of health care. Second, the chapter compiles evidence on variables that affect health system performance, such as mixes of inputs and outputs. This evidence will help in assessing the performance of the Korean health care system (Chapter 3), in understanding the opportunities and problems associated with recent reforms (Chapter 4) and in identifying key strengths and weaknesses of the system (Chapter 5)...

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  Performance of the Korean Health Care System and its Determinants

  The performance of health care systems should be assessed against appropriate goals: health improvements/outcomes; responsiveness to consumers; and financial contribution/health expenditure (see Table 3.1). While data to assess the performance of the Korean health care systems and its determinants are not fully available, this chapter assembles the existing evidence...

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  The July 2000 Reforms

  In July 2000, two major reforms were implemented in the Korean health care system. First, the National Health Insurance was reformed from a multiple payer to a single insurer system by integrating autonomous insurance societies into the National Health Insurance Corporation (Integration Reform). Second, the functions of prescribing and dispensing of drugs were separated between doctors and pharmacists (Separation Reform). While the reforms were both completed in July 2000, preparation for both proceeded independently and with different original timetables...

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  From Performance to Future Action What Ways Forward?

  The Korean health care system has made remarkable progress over the last decades, but, as has been analysed in this report, some drawbacks of the system have emerged. This chapter will illustrate strengths and weaknesses, summarising issues raised in previous chapters. Current problems are in part linked to existing weaknesses. But new challenges can be anticipated to arise from the forecasts of key variables affecting the demand for health care, such as demographic changes, or affecting the supply, such as the adoption of technology and investment in medical capacity. Policy interventions will be needed to address key areas of concern...

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