Reports
Discussion Papers
No.909 Longitudinal analysis of income-related inequalities in health care under universal coverage in Korea
December 2023
ABSTRACT
More than 30 years have passed since the Republic of Korea achieved universal health coverage. This study addresses long-term income inequalities with respect to health care utilization and spending in Korea, using longitudinal data from a nationally representative health survey. I employ an extended method of factor decomposition, which allows for heterogeneity across income groups. The empirical results show that overall health care use is disproportionately concentrated among the poor. The results regarding inpatient care expenses indicate a similar pattern of pro-poor bias, while long-run inequality favors the better-off in terms of outpatient care expenditures.
Keywords: Income-related inequality, Health care, Concentration index, Health-related income mobility, Factor decomposition, Korea
JEL classification: I14
PDF available at http://hdl.handle.net/2344/0002000122
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