Korea Journal of Hospital Management (한국병원경영학회지)

Korean Society of Hospital Management (한국병원경영학회)
권호 표지

Relationship of Hospital Ownership and Profitability with Prices of Non-Covered Services

병원의 설립형태 및 수익성과 비급여 서비스 가격의 연관성

  • Do Hee Kim (Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Yonsei University) ;
  • Tae Hyun Kim (Department of Healthcare Management, Graduate School of Public Health, Yonsei University)
  • 김도희 (연세대학교 대학원 보건학과) ;
  • 김태현 (연세대학교 보건대학원 의료경영학과)
  • Received : 2023.02.23
  • Accepted : 2023.03.28
  • Published : 2023.03.30
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Abstract

Purposes: There exist many non-covered services that the National Health Insurance does not cover, and thus, their prices are set by individual health care providers. However, little study has been done to investigate how hospitals set prices for those services. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between ownership, profitability, and prices of those services for a sample of general hospitals. Methodology/Approach: Data regarding the prices of major non-covered services (e.g., upper-level hospital room fees, MRI, Da 7inci robot surgery, and LASIK) were obtained from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service and the financial information, as well as other characteristics, were derived from the financial reports from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. Findings: Hospitals owned by private universities appeared to have higher prices for non-covered services while regional public hospitals tend to have lower prices. Profitability, measured by operating margin, was not significantly related to the prices. Hospitals that charge higher prices were more likely to be located in the capital area (Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi), and to employ larger number of personnel. Practical Implications: Public hospitals tend to charge lower prices for non-covered services. Relative market power appears to be related to pricing. Further research is needed to investigate whether such a relationship varies over time and its effects on the quality and access.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

이 논문은 정부(교육부)의 재원으로 한국연구재단의 지원을 받아 연구되었음(NRF-2021S1A5A2A03061909)

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