Cost Structure of Medical Services in Korean National Health Insurance

Abstract

Health insurance fees are set by relative value scales and conversion factors. Since 2008 the conversion factor has been classified into 7 according to the provider type, and a separate contract has been made respectively. As such classification of the conversion factor reflects only the different characteristics of providers, however, further classification to reflect the different cost structures of providers is proposed. Cost varies according to the type of not only providers but also services each provider supply. In fact different cost structures of providers are the result of their different services. This study analyzed the cost structure of medical services to propose a new approach to the classification of the conversion factor. This study analyzed the cost structure of medical services using cost data constructed in the revision study of relative value scales. The cost data consist of doctor`s fee, support staff`s fee, cost of medical equipments, cost of medical supplies and indirect cost. The proportion of each cost component to the total cost was analyzed in terms of service department and service type. 72 service groups are defined in terms of the combination of service department and service type. Through cluster analysis, 72 service groups were reduced into 7 clusters each of which has a similar cost structure. Conversion factor is contracted annually to reflect the change in the cost of providing medical services. So the classification of conversion factor has to be based on the cost structures of medical services, not the characteristics of providers. Service clusters derived in this study can be used as a new classification for health insurance fee contract.