Korean medicine coverage in the National Health Insurance in Korea: present situation and critical issues

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

National Health Insurance (NHI) in Korea has covered Korean medicine (KM) services including acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and herbal preparations since 1987, which represents the first time that an entire traditional medicine system was insured by an NHI scheme anywhere in the world. This nationwide insurance coverage led to a rapid increase in the use of KM, and the KM community became one of the main interest groups in the Korean healthcare system. However, due to the public's safety concern of and the stagnancy in demand for KM services, KM has been facing new challenges. This paper presents a brief history and the current structure of KM health insurance, and describes the critical issues related to KM insurance for in-depth understanding of the present situation.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 손지형, "한의사의 복합과립제 사용 실태 조사 및 복합과립제 건강보험 급여 시행방안에 대한 연구" 대한한의학회 30 (30): 64-78, 2009

2 김진현, "건강보험 한방의료의 총액계약제 도입방안" 대한예방한의학회 14 (14): 77-96, 2010

3 Cho HJ, "Traditional medicine, professional monopoly and structural interests: a Korean case" 50 : 123-135, 2000

4 Park HL, "Traditional medicine in China. Korea, and Japan: a brief introduction and comparison" 2012 : 429103-, 2012

5 Cho HJ, "The quest for professional status: a social and sociological study of Korean traditional medicine in the 20th century" Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 1999

6 Cho BH, "The politics of herbal drugs in Korea" 51 : 505-509, 2000

7 Cheng TM, "Taiwan’s new national health insurance program : genesis and experience so far" 22 : 61-76, 2003

8 Hsiao WC, "Resource-based relative values" 260 : 2347-2353, 1988

9 Lim B, "Rationalization of payment system of National Health Insurance for Korean medicine" National Health Insurance Service 2012

10 American Medical Association, "Overview of the RBRVS"

11 Oxley H., "New Directions in Health Care Policy. Health Policy Studies" 39-, 1995

12 National Health Insurance Service, "National Health Insurance statistical yearbook"

13 Ahn TS, "Long-term development plan for National Health Insurance payment system" Seoul National University Institute of Management Research 2011

14 Lim B, "Improvement plan for herbal medicines coverage in Korean medicine insurance" Association of Korean Oriental Medicine 1999

15 Association of Korean Medicine, "Heath insurance payment schedule for Korean medicine" Aram Edit 2012

16 Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, "Health insurance payment schedule" Aram Edit 2012

17 Etter JF, "Health care expenditures after introduction of a gatekeeper and a global budget in a Swiss health insurance plan" 52 : 370-376, 1998

18 Schwartz F, "Fixing health budgets:experience from Europe and North America" John Wiley & Sons 1996

19 Na S, "East Asian medicine in South Korea" 14 : 44-56, 2012

20 Yang MS, "Development of National Medical Insurance and Benefit Coverage" 19 : 42-43, 1989

21 Lim B, "Attempts to Utilize and Integrate Traditional Medicine in North Korea" 15 : 217-223, 2009

22 Hsiao WC, "An overview of the development and refinement of the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale. The foundation for reform of U.S. physician payment" 30 : NS1-NS12, 1992

23 Nakatani Y., "A guide for application of Ryodoraku autonomous nerve regulatory therapy" Chan’s Books and Products 1972