Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2018 | Research article
Effects of a new medical insurance payment system for hospice patients in palliative care programs in Korea
Published in: BMC Palliative Care | Issue 1/2018
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Background
This study investigates the effects of a new medical insurance payment system for hospice patients in palliative care programs and analyzes length of survival (LoS) determinants.
Method
At the Pusan National University Hospital hospice center, between January 2015 and April 2016, 276 patients were hospitalized with several diagnosed types of terminal stage cancer. This study separated patients into two groups, “old” and “new,” by admission date, considering the new system has been applied from July 15, 2015. The study subsequently compared LoS, total cost, and out-of-pocket expenses for the two groups.
Results
Overall, 142 patients applied to the new medical insurance payment system group, while the old medical insurance payment system included 134 patients. The results do not show a significantly negative difference in LoS for the new system group (p = 0.054). Total cost is higher within the new group (p < 0.001); however, the new system registers lower patient out-of-pocket expenses (p < 0.001).
Conclusion
The novelty of this study is proving that the new medical insurance payment system is not inferior to the classic one in terms of LoS. The total cost of the new system increased due to a multidisciplinary approach toward palliative care. However, out-of-pocket expenses for patients overall decreased, easing their financial burden.