To improve financial protection against catastrophic illness, the Korean government expanded the benefit coverage of the National Health Insurance (NHI) for cancer patients in 2005. This paper examined whether the policy has reduced income-inequality in the use of tertiary care hospitals.

To provide financial protection against catastrophic illness, the Korean government expanded the National Health Insurance (NHI) benefit coverage for cancer patients in 2005. This paper examined whether the policy improved the income-related equality in health care utilization. This study...

The Republic of Korea achieved universal health coverage in 1989, twelve years after the introduction of mandatory health insurance for employees in large corporations. Political legitimization of the authoritarian regime and rapid economic growth contributed to the rapid extension of health...