OBJECTIVES To examine quantitatively the effects of an increase in patient copayments from 10% to 20% on the demand for medical services in Japan. METHODS The subjects of the study were the employees insured by the 1,797 health insurance societies, belonging to the National Federation of Health Insurance Societies, in 1996 and 1998. Indicators of medical service demands analyzed include the i...

Introduction of international treatment protocols into medical care determines the need for scientific substantiation mechanisms their adaptation in rehabilitation care. On basis a systemic approach we substantiated organizational model quality assurance provision health system Ukraine, which consists four interacting subsystems: management, functional, monitoring (resultative) and supply (proc...

BACKGROUND As healthcare spending continues to increase, medical insurance is now under great pressure of growing economic burden. To control the excessive growth of medical expenditure, change of medical payment system was clearly put forward in China's new healthcare reform. With this end, Tianjin, a large city in North China, is now exploring to replace traditional fee-for-service (FFS) with...

states were selected to represent some variety of physician cost controls in the workers compensation system. Price-per-service comparisons are based on market baskets of professional services for five injuries that are of particular importance to workers compensation. Comparisons of the overall cost of treating injuries, incorporating prices per service, number of services, and mix of services...

In Finland, all fatal traffic accidents are investigated by a group of experts in related areas of technical, medical, psychological, police etc. experts. This investigation is done independent of all the juristic processes, though relevant police material is available. The main purpose of the analysis is to find preventive methods for future use. A special organization, financed by mandatory t...

The development and the design of telemedicine services have taken a great consideration and care in the domain of wireless communication nowadays. The set of these researches is linked to the aging population and the persons exposed to accident risks in their daily life or the decline of their health in short time. In this case, it is indispensible to make a diagnostic in a real time and well ...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to examine the magnitude of and the factors associated with the downward mobility of first-episode psychiatric patients. METHODS This study used the claims data from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service. The study population included 19 293 first-episode psychiatric inpatients diagnosed with alcohol use disorder (International Class...

OBJECTIVE To examine medical and mental health care expenditures for large numbers of individuals with diabetes enrolled in employment-sponsored insurance plans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Health insurance billing data for approximately 1.3 million individuals enrolled in health insurance plans sponsored by 862 large self-insured employers nationwide were used to examine employer expenditure...