Archive for the 'Insurance' Category
May 23rd, 2007 6:05:24
[The determinants of purchasing private health insurance in korean cancer patients.]
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[The determinants of purchasing private health insurance in korean cancer patients.]
J Prev Med Pub Health. 2007 Mar;40(2):150-4
Authors: Lim JH, Kim SG, Lee EM, Bae SY, Park JH, Choi KS, Hahm MI, Park EC
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to identify factors determining the purchase of private health insurance under the mandatory National Health Insurance(NHI) system in Korea. METHODS: The data were collected by the National Cancer Center in Korea. It includes cancer patients who were newly diagnosed with stomach (ICD code, C16), lung(C33-C34), liver (C22), colorectal cancer(C18-C20) or breast(C50) cancer. Data were gathered from the hospital Order Communication System (OCS), medical records, and face-to-face interviews, using a structured questionnaire. Clinical, socio-demographic and private health insurance related factors were also gathered. RESULTS: Overall, 43.9% of patients had purchased one or more private health insurance schemes related to cancer, with an average monthly premium of won 65,311 and an average benefit amount of won 19 million. Females, younger aged, high income earners, national health insurers and metropolitan citizens were more likely to purchase private health insurance than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: About half of Korean people have supplementary private health insurance and their benefits are sufficient to cover the out-of-pocket fees required for cancer treatment, but inequality remains in the purchase of private health insurance. Further studies are needed to investigate the impacts of private health insurance on NHI, and the relationship between cancer patients’ burden and benefits.
PMID: 17426427 [PubMed - in process]
April 21st, 2007 20:04:31
Use of a new comprehensive insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment.
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Use of a new comprehensive insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment.
Prev Chronic Dis. 2005 Oct;2(4):A15
Authors: Burns ME, Rosenberg MA, Fiore MC
INTRODUCTION: Uncertainty about levels of employee use of an insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment has presented a barrier to employers considering the adoption of such coverage. This study examined self-reported awareness and use of a new insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment among a sample of Wisconsin state employees, retirees, and adult dependents. METHODS: We evaluated the self-reported use of insurance coverage for smoking-cessation treatment during the first 2 years of its availability to the Wisconsin state employee, retiree, and adult dependent population. We conducted analyses of responses to smoking-related questions in 2001 and 2002 cross-sectional surveys of insured state employees, retirees, and adult dependents, weighted to represent this population. RESULTS: In 2002, benefit use among smokers aware of the benefit was 39.6%, and benefit use among smokers unaware of the benefit was 3.5%. Only 27.4% of smokers were aware of the benefit in 2002; use among all smokers was 13.6%. Of all smokers, 30.4% used smoking-cessation treatment medication (over-the-counter or covered) in 2002. Smoking prevalence was 15.6% in 2001 and 13.2% in 2002. CONCLUSION: In an educated employee population, self-reported smoking-cessation treatment benefit use was modest among all smokers during its first 2 years of availability. Benefit awareness was low in this educated population, which may help explain low use rates, particularly given the 30% of all smokers who attempted to quit smoking with the help of smoking-cessation treatment medication. These data provide use-rate estimates for states contemplating adoption of an evidence-based smoking-cessation treatment benefit.
PMID: 16164819 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
April 21st, 2007 15:04:32
Informed consent for research and authorization under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule: an integrated approach.
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Informed consent for research and authorization under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule: an integrated approach.
Ann Intern Med. 2006 May 2;144(9):685-8
Authors: Shalowitz D, Wendler D
Researchers have found that implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule is having a negative impact on clinical research. This impact traces, in part, to many research institutions complying with HIPAA by adding lengthy, complex language to their research consent documents. The addition of extensive language burdens institutional review boards and may undermine participants’ understanding of the research in which they take part. Comparative analysis reveals, however, that the addition of lengthy text often is unnecessary. The U.S. federal requirements for informed consent for human subjects research and the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s requirements for individual authorization overlap substantially. Hence, consent forms that satisfy the U.S. federal regulations for human subjects research need only minimal additional text to also satisfy the authorization requirements under the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
PMID: 16670138 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]