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...

This dissertation explores the optimum structure of payment systems for providers in health care markets as is represented by the mix of prospective and cost-based payments. Based on the theory of incentive contracts, I characterize reimbursement systems in terms of financial risks and...