Abstract: The absence of universal healthcare coverage (UHC) can have ripple effects on human life and a nation’s wellbeing. The implementation of national health insurance system (NHIS) as a social security system that guarantee healthcare cost for subscribers and their dependents tends to safeguard life and mitigate the catastrophic effects of healthcare expenditure. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of NHIS, universal healthcare access (UA) and financial risk protection (FRP) on perceived satisfaction with health service quality (PSHSQ) taking into account the mediation role of universal healthcare coverage.
Methods: Primary data for this study consists of administration of structured questionnaires among 300 respondents in Busan, South Korea based on health insurance enrollment. The effects of the antecedent constructs on the mediator and consequent construct were established through pre-hypotheses analysis such as reliability, convergent and discriminant validity tests and model fit analysis. The application of model modification indices were used as contingency measures to increase the adequacy of the hypothesized model. A covariance based structural equation model was employed to analyze the hypothesized effects. The mediation effects were established based on bias-corrected bootstrap at 95% confidence interval.
Results: The results indicated that NHIS, UA, FRP had significant effects on UHC. There was partial mediation effect of UHC in the relationships between NHIS, UA and PSHSQ. However, UHC fully accentuated the effect of FRP on PSHSQ as a result of the relatively high mandatory monthly insurance contributions.
Conclusions: The empirical evidence proved that Korea’s obligatory NHIS have positive effect on PSHSQ. The mandatory enrollment on NHIS in Korea facilitate vertical and horizontal redistribution effects which provide social security and also enhances health conditions.
Keywords: National Health Insurance, Universal Access, Financial Risk Protection, Universal Healthcare Coverage, Health Service Quality.
Title: The Mediation Role of Universal Healthcare Coverage in the Effect of National Health Insurance System on Perceived Satisfaction with Health Service Quality
Author: Dr. Richard Boateng, Dr. Dae Won Kim
International Journal of Healthcare Sciences
ISSN 2348-5728 (Online)
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