고령사회의 중고령자집단의 의료비 지출 결정요인-엔더슨의 건강서비스 행동모형을 중심으로

Abstract

As the number of the aging population rapidly increases, the aging society of Korea has faced more of burden on supporting the elderly and providing medical cares for the needy population. It is even more problematic when baby-boomers are reaching at the retirement and becoming older. Baby-boomers are those who spend more on medical expenditures, about four times more than their older cohort group and thus it will be accelerating the financial burden on households and the society at large. This study is interested in examining Andersen’s Behavioral Model that explains determinants of health care expenditure among the young elderly groups of Korea. Using data collected through the National Survey on Health Care Panels of Korea the study examined how baby-boomers and younger elderly population behaves when the health care expenditures were concerned. As the analysis methods, determinants of health care expenditure was explored by using the panel analysis, some factors as accessibility, chronicle disease, type of health care insurance affected the total amount of health care expenses used among Korean baby-boomers. However, the strengths of associations vary according to age groups. Study implications included that a preventive care for chronicle diseases will be more effective and beneficial both in epidemics and financial aspects on health care. The public agencies such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and National Center for Health Care will be more interested in the individual elderly as well as their families and community since it requires more of integrative approach to care for the elderly people of Korea.