title: Equity of access to primary care among older adults in Incheon, South Korea.
abstract: The present study examines the extent to which equity in the use of physician services for the elderly has been achieved in Incheon, Korea. It is based on the Aday and Andersen Access Framework. The results indicate that a universal health insurance system has not yielded a fully equitable distribution of services. The limitation of benefit coverage as well as high out-of-pocket payment can be a barrier to health care utilization, which results in inequity and differential medical care utilization between subgroups of older adults. Health policy reforms in South Korea must continue to concentrate on extending insurance coverage to the uninsured and establishing a financially separate insurance system for poor older adults. In addition, further research is needed to identify the nonfinancial barriers that persist for certain demographic subgroups, that is, those 80 years and older, men, those who lack a social network, and those who have no religion.
authors.affiliation: University of Incheon, Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea. jumoonpark@incheon.ac.kr
authors.forename: Ju Moon
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019472:Universal Health Insurance