Income-related disparities in the value of health care in South Korea.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Health care spending in South Korea is associated with improvements in health. However, it remains unclear whether the value of this spending is equally distributed across income groups.

Methods

We analyzed lifetime health care spending and quality-adjusted life expectancy (QALE) by income quintile among South Korean adults from 2010 to 2018. We then calculated the ratio of changes in health care spending to changes in QALE to estimate the value of health care spending across income groups. Additionally, we investigated mechanisms underlying income-related differences in the value of health care.

Results

Assuming 80% of QALE gains are attributable to health care, adults in the lowest-income quintile received the least value, incurring $78 209 per QALE gai

SUBMITTER: Park S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12359133 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature