Health Insurance Type and Premium‍ Impact Cancer Mortality​ Rates

Research findings have revealed that cancer mortality rates vary significantly depending on the type and premium ‌of ‍national health insurance.

A‍ joint research‍ team led by Professor Hee-Taek Kang‍ of the Department⁤ of Family Medicine at Severance Hospital and Professor Jin-Young Shin of the‌ Department of Family Medicine ‌at Konkuk University Hospital analyzed​ data ‌from the⁢ National Health ⁤Insurance Service. The study found that cancer mortality rates differ depending on⁣ the type ‌of health insurance and health insurance premiums.

The⁤ study’s results were published in⁢ the latest issue of the ⁢international journal ‘Journal of‌ Personalized Medicine’.

To determine the impact of health insurance types and insurance‌ premiums on cancer mortality,⁣ the‌ research⁤ team surveyed 111,941 patients diagnosed with ‌cancer over a period ⁤of⁢ one year from 2007 in ​the⁢ National Health Insurance Database (NHID). The patients were divided into workplace subscribers (76,944‍ people) and local subscribers (34,997 people). Each subscriber type was further divided into high, ⁤middle, and low‍ categories based on insurance premium payments, and ⁢the ⁤mortality rate was analyzed.

The study found that the overall mortality rate for workplace subscribers was 0.940 times lower than for ‍local⁣ subscribers. ‌By gender, the mortality rate was 0.922​ times ⁢lower for men ​and 0.925 times lower for women.

Furthermore, the⁢ cancer ‌death rate among workers who⁤ fell⁣ into⁣ the ⁣higher insurance premium payment category‍ was ⁤0.880 times lower ⁣for men and 0.883 times ‍lower for women compared to those in the lower category.

A ​similar pattern⁢ was ​observed among local subscribers. The cancer mortality rates of men and women in the higher category were ⁣0.730⁤ and 0.777 times lower, respectively, than those in the lower​ category.

The research team attributed these ⁤findings to the fact ⁤that employed subscribers ⁤receive regular cancer screenings,​ have ‍greater access to medical care due to predictable income, ‌and benefit from reduced medical expenses through actual ‍cost insurance.

Professor ‍Kang Hee-taek emphasized, “We confirmed that health inequality clearly exists, with cancer mortality‍ rates differing depending on economic ‍level.” He added, ​”Policy and legal national support is needed for ⁢the appropriate distribution of limited medical resources and​ health management.”