KIHASA Held the 16th Korea Health Panel Conference

• ■On Friday, December 20, the 16^th Korea Health Panel Conference began with the opening ceremony at 9:30 am, followed by a special session in the morning and by thematic sessions, a graduate student session, and a lecture on research methodology in the afternoon.
  
  

• ■The special session featured three presentations and a discussion on the topic "Analysis of Healthcare Utilization Using the Korea Health Panel ？ Focusing on Non-covered Services and Private Health Insurance."
  
  

• ■The thematic sessions covered three topics: Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure, Health Literacy, and Healthcare Utilization Patterns, with a total of nine presentations.
  
  

• ■Kang Hye-kyu, Acting President of KIHASA, noted, “The Korea Health Panel has served as a critical resource for health policy formulation and evaluation over the past 15 years. I hope that this discussion will lead to meaningful follow-up research and policy recommendations.”

KIHASA and the National Health Insurance Service jointly held the Korea Health Panel Conference at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday, December 20 at 9:30am.

• ■The Korea Health Panel Conference is an academic forum that invites experts in the field of health to discuss the findings of research using Korea Health Panel data and to explore strategies for the development of health policy in Korea. This year marked its 16th edition.
  
  

• ■This event featured an opening ceremony and a special session in the morning, followed by thematic sessions, a graduate student session, and a lecture on research methodology in the afternoon.
  
  

• ■The conference began with on-site registration at 9:00 am, followed by opening remarks at 9:30 am from Kang Hye-kyu, Acting President of KIHASA, and Jung Ki-seok, President of the NHIS. The opening ceremony was followed by an awards ceremony for outstanding graduate student research using Korea Health Panel data.
  
  

• ■The special session was held from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. The theme of the session was "Analysis of Healthcare Utilization Using the Korea Health Panel: Focusing on Non-Covered Services and Private Health Insurance," and it included three research presentations and a discussion on the topic.
  
  - The special session included the following presentations: Policy Issues and Challenges of Non-Covered Services and Private Health Insurance (Ji Young-geon, CHA University); Impact of the Introduction of Private Health Insurance on the Health Expenditure Structure: Effects by Covered and Non-Covered Services (Kim Yoon-hee, Inha University); Analysis of the Stress-Relief Effects of Private Health Insurance: Focusing on the COVID-19 Pandemic Period (Kim Dae-hwan, Dong-A University).
  
  

• ■The thematic sessions took place from 1:20 pm to 3:00 pm. The sessions focused on three topics: Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure, Health Literacy, and Healthcare Utilization Patterns.
  
  - Thematic Session 1 on “Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure” included the following presentations: “Medical Expenses for Vulnerable Populations: Focusing on Outpatient Services” by Kim Eun-ah, Seoul National University; “Correlation Between Diabetes Treatment Settings and Healthcare Costs” by Lee Jae-ho, Catholic University; and “Comparative Study of Healthcare Expenditure Based on Functional Food Intake Using Korea Health Panel Data” by Kwon Hye-young, Mokwon University.
  
  - Thematic Session 2 on “Health Literacy” included the following presentations: “Differences in Self-Management based on Health Literacy Levels in People with Disabilities” by Jung Young-il, Korea National Open University; “Impact of Health Literacy Levels on Healthcare Utilization and Expenditure” by Moon Seok-jun, KIHASA; and “Education Levels and Health Literacy in Women: A Comparative Study Using Korea Health Panel Data and a Preliminary Study on the Health of Married Migrant Women by Park Eun-ja, KIHASA.
  
  - Thematic Session 3 on “Healthcare Utilization Patterns” included the following presentations: “Impact of Policyholder Characteristics and Insurance Type on Private Health Insurance Cancellation: Using Multilevel Survival Analysis” by Min In-sik, Kyung Hee University; “Post-discharge Healthcare Utilization of Patients with Musculoskeletal Disorders by Jeon Bo-young, Myongji College; and “Changes in Dental Costs and Utilization Patterns Following Expanded Coverage” by Cho Han-ah, Shinhan University.
  
  

• ■The graduate student session and methodology lecture were held from 3:10 pm to 5:00 pm.
  
  - The graduate student session featured the following presentations: “Changes in Out-of-Pocket Expenditures for Dementia Patients Before and After the National Responsibility System for Dementia: An Analysis Using a Propensity Score Matching-Difference-in-Differences Model" by Lim Seongmi, Seoul National University; “The Impact of Employment Type on Catastrophic Health Expenditure Based on Public Transfer Income" by Seo Eunsol, Seoul National University; and "The Relationship Between Accumulated Low-Income Levels and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events, and the Mediating Effect of Health Behavior Changes" by Shim Sunyoung, Yonsei University.
  
  - The research methodology lecture was given on “Dynamic Methodology Using STATA” by Jeong Mincheol, a statistics and big data consultant who runs the YouTube channel ‘Statparang.’ The lecture consisted of two parts, one on “Time Series Theory and Practice,” and the other on “Panel Analysis Theory and Practice.”
  
  

• ■Kang Hye-kyu, Acting President of KIHASA, said, “Our healthcare environment is rapidly changing due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic, low birth rates, an aging population, and changing disease patterns. To address these challenges, KIHASA and NHIS have conducted research and surveys through the Korea Health Panel. I hope this conference will contribute to future studies and effective policy proposals for the advancement of health policy in Korea.”