title: Health care utilization and costs among medical-aid enrollees, the poor not enrolled in medical-aid, and the near poor in South Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although government has implemented medical-aid policy that provides assistance to the poor with almost free medical services, there are low-income people who do not receive necessary medical services in Korea. The aim of this study is to highlight the characteristics of Medical-Aid enrollees, the poor not enrolled in Medical-Aid, and the near poor and their utilization and costs for health care.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study draws on the 2012 Korea Welfare Panel Study (KOWEPS), a nationally representative dataset. We divided people with income less than 120% of the minimum cost of living (MCL) into three groups (n = 2,784): the poor enrolled in Medical-Aid, the poor not enrolled in Medical-Aid (at or below 100% of MCL), and the near poor (100-120% of MCL). Using a cross-sectional design, this study provides an overview of health care utilization and costs of these three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings of the study suggest that significantly lower health care utilization was observed for the poor not enrolled in Medical-Aid compared to those enrolled in Medical-Aid. On the other hand, two groups (the poor not enrolled in Medical-Aid, the near poor) had higher health care costs, percentage of medical expenses to income compared to Medical-Aid.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given the particularly low rate of the population enrolled in Medical-Aid, similarly economically vulnerable groups are more likely to face barriers to needed health services. Meeting the health needs of these groups is an important consideration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. jwchoi2695@yuhs.ac.|Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jwchoi2695@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Jae Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ecpark@yuhs.ac.|Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ecpark@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Eun-Cheol
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. csy6909@yuhs.ac.|Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. csy6909@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Sung-Youn
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. KTHAN@yuhs.ac.|Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. KTHAN@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Kyu-Tae
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea. eunahan@yonsei.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Euna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Services Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. thkim@yuhs.ac.|Department of Hospital Administration, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Republic of Korea. thkim@yuhs.ac.
authors.forename: Tae Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008483:Medical Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology