[KS] Three Upcoming Events on Korea at Stanford University: January 27, 28 and 30, 2015

[Frank Joseph Shulman]

From: aparc-events [aparc-events-bounces at stanford.edu] on behalf of Debbie Warren [dawarren at stanford.edu]


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Benefits Extension of Health Insurance in Korea: Impacts and Future Prospects<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/benefits-extension-health-insurance-korea-impacts-and-future-prospects>

Asia Health Policy Program Seminar

Soonman Kwon, Professor and Former Dean of the School of Public Health, Seoul National University

Sujin Kim, Takemi Fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health

Whereas Korean health insurance achieved universal coverage of population in 1989, out-of-pocket (OOP) payments has been a major concern because it is as high as about 35% of total health expenditure. Several policies to expand the benefit coverage of National Health Insurance (NHI) were implemented around the year 2005; for example, cost sharing of 20-50% was reduced to 10% for catastrophic illnesses; ceiling on OOP payment was implemented for covered services. This study analyzed the extent to which the policy of expanding benefit coverage for cancer patients reduced income-inequality in health care utilization, the use of tertiary care hospital, and catastrophic payment. Using nationwide claim data of NHI, this study is based on the triple difference estimator to compare cancer patients as a treatment group with liver disease or cardio-cerebrovascular disease as control groups and low-income group with the highest-income group. The results showed that the utilization of outpatient and inpatient services increased more (or decreased less) among low-income patients than high-income ones after the introduction of the policy. For the use of tertiary care hospitals, inpatient admissions increased more in low-income cancer patients than those of high-income ones, but not outpatient visits. While catastrophic payment decreased among cancer patients, high-income cancer patients experienced a greater decrease than those of low income did. Although Korea expanded benefits coverage for catastrophic illnesses, policy debates continue due to insufficient financial protection, which also depends on provider behavior and potential demand inducement associated with the provision of uncovered services and specialist services with high fees. Politics of increasing benefits coverage in Korean NHI will be discussed too.

12:00p.m. – 1:30p.m. – RSVP<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/registration/218521> required by January 26

Philippines Conference Room

Encina Hall, 3rd floor, Central

For more information contact Ms. Lisa Lee<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/people/Lisa_Lee>

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Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Democracy is More Difficult than Physics: Evidence from Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/democracy-more-difficult-physics-evidence-indonesia-korea-philippines-and-thailand>

Southeast Asia Program Panel Discussion

Giovanna Maria Dora Dore, Fellow, Asian Studies Program, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

Jae H. Ku, Director, US-Korea Institute, SAIS, JHU

Karl D. Jackson, CV Starr Distinguished Professor, SAIS, JHU

Why have Indonesia, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand proven so recurrently vulnerable to political crises? In their new volume, Incomplete Democracy in the Asia-Pacific, Giovanna Dore, Jae Ku, and Karl Jackson cite the relative absence of participation between elections, the continued influence of traditional social structures, the incomplete emergence of civil society organizations, public opinions of democracy and authoritarian rule, and the persisting weaknesses of political parties. Their book shows how mass attitudes and behaviors enable continued elite control of these electoral democracies, and conclude that although there are substantial differences between them, the chronic problem of democracy in Asia has been the lack of mobilized public demand for good governance.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies

12:00p.m. – 1:30p.m. – RSVP<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/registration/218226> required by January 27

Philippines Conference Room

Encina Hall, 3rd floor, Central

For more information contact Ms. Lisa Lee<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/people/Lisa_Lee>

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Friday, January 30, 2015

The Korean Economy at a Crossroads<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/koret-distinguished-lecture-series-lecture-v>

Korea Program Seminar, Koret Distinguished Lecture Series: Lecture V

Kyung Wook Hur, former ROK Ambassador to OECD

During the past five decades, the South Korean economy has achieved stellar success. The country has been transformed from an impoverished, war-stricken, agrarian society into an industrial powerhouse. Today Korea has the world’s 14th-largest economy and per capita GDP of $28,000. Yet the economy is now at a crossroads. Korea is losing its dynamism and facing serious challenges, including a rapidly aging society, declining working age population, reduced potential growth rate, increasing demand for welfare expenditures, worsening inequality, and fewer decent jobs. Moreover, the prospect of unification poses not only opportunities but also challenges. Kyung Wook Hur will discuss Korea’s urgent need to find new engines of growth and take other steps to meet these challenges to the future of the Korean economy.

12:00p.m. – 1:15p.m. – RSVP<http://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/registration/218552> required by January 27

Philippines Conference Room

Encina Hall, 3rd floor, Central


Ms. Debbie Warren
Event Coordinator
Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center
Stanford University
616 Serra St.
Encina Hall, Room E301
Stanford, CA 94305-6055
T:650-723-8387
F: 650-723-6530
dawarren at stanford.edu
http://aparc.stanford.edu

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