The Impact of Public Transfer Income on Catastrophic Health Expenditures for Households With Disabilities in Korea

Abstract

Objectives: Previous studies have reported that people with disabilities are more likely to be impoverished and affected by excessive medical costs than people without disabilities. Public transfer income (PTI) reduces financial strain in low-income households. This study examined the impact of PTI on catastrophic health expenditures (CHE), focusing on low-income households and households with Medical Aid beneficiaries that contained people with disabilities.Methods: We constructed a panel dataset by extracting data on registered households with disabilities from the Korea Welfare Panel Study 2012-2019. We then used a generalized estimating equation model to estimate the impacts of PTI on CHE. A subgroup analysis was carried out to assess the moderating effects of family income levels and health insurance types.Results: As PTI increased, the odds ratio (OR) of CHE in households that contained people with disabilities decreased significantly (OR, 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89 to 0.94; <i>p</i><0.001). In particular, PTI effectively reduced the likelihood of CHE for low-income households (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.89; <i>p</i><0.001) and those who received medical benefits (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.68 to 0.89; <i>p</i><0.001).Conclusions: This study highlights the positive effect of PTI on decreasing CHE. Household income and the health insurance type were significant effect modifiers, but economic barriers seemed to persist among low-income households with non-Medical Aid beneficiaries. Federal policies or programs should consider increasing the total amount of PTI targeting low-income households with disabilities that are not covered by the Medical Aid program.

Prevalence and Determinants of Catastrophic Healthcare Expenditures in Iran From 2013 to 2019

“…When designing and implementing financing protection policies, it is crucial to consider demographics, vulnerable groups, and diseases that exhibit higher likelihoods of CHE [ 8 , 28 , 32 ]. In addition to the effort to decrease the occurrence of CHE, there is a need to reduce socioeconomic inequality concerning the burden of CHE among various subpopulations by ensuring comprehensive coverage for all and facilitating access to health resources and services [ 33 ].…”

The Effects of a Forest Therapy on Work-Related Stress for Employees in the Manufacturing Industry: Randomized Control Study

“…From an occupational health perspective, the stress of workers can be defined as fatigue caused by excessive mental and physical labour. 2 Such a state of fatigue tends to result in reduction or loss of functioning. 4 Work-related stress can have a significant negative impact on workers' health and quality of life, which, in turn, can put a heavy burden on society, causing increased utilization of medical services and rates of industrial accidents.…”

“…Around 25% of workers in Korea have been categorized as a high-risk group in terms of work-related stress. 2 The stress of workers can be defined as deleterious physical and emotional responses arising when job requirements are inconsistent with workers' ability, resources, and desires. 3 The stress of workers is a complex phenomenon caused by various factors within the modern industrial structure.…”