Effects of Copayment Reduction in Long-Term Care Insurance on Medical Utilization in South Korea

This study assessed the impact of reducing South Korean long-term care insurance copayment in 2018 on hospital admissions, avoidable hospitalizations, and outpatient care. Using coarsened exact matching and a triple-difference approach, the analysis was conducted on the 2017-2019 older adult cohort from the National Health Insurance Service database. Results showed decreased avoidable hospitalizations and nursing hospital stays for the low-income class. For the middle-income class, long-term hospitalizations and nursing hospital admissions decreased, while outpatient care use increased. Affordable long-term care services could enhance resource allocation and older adult beneficiaries' health conditions.