Health Insurance Workplace Subscribers Have Lower 'Cancer Mortality Rate' Than Regional Subscribers

Professor Kang Hee-taek of Severance, "Differences According to Income Level"

A study has revealed that the mortality rate of cancer patients varies according to the type of National Health Insurance and insurance premiums.

Professor Kang Hee-taek, Department of Family Medicine, Severance Hospital

A joint research team led by Professor Kang Hee-taek of the Department of Family Medicine at Severance Hospital and Professor Shin Jin-young of the Department of Family Medicine at Konkuk University Medical Center analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Service and announced on the 27th that cancer mortality rates differ depending on the type of health insurance and insurance premiums.

To understand the impact of health insurance type and premiums on cancer mortality rates, the research team classified 111,941 patients diagnosed with cancer over one year from 2007 in the National Health Insurance Service database into workplace subscribers (76,944) and regional subscribers (34,997). Then, each subscriber type was divided into high, medium, and low groups based on insurance premium payments to analyze mortality rates.

As a result, workplace subscribers had an overall mortality rate 0.940 times that of regional subscribers, with rates 0.922 times lower in males and 0.925 times lower in females.

Among workplace subscribers, those in the high insurance premium payment group had cancer mortality rates 0.880 times lower for males and 0.883 times lower for females compared to the low payment group.

This pattern was similar among regional subscribers. Male and female cancer mortality rates in the high group were 0.730 times and 0.777 times lower, respectively, than those in the low group.

The research team attributed this to workplace subscribers regularly undergoing cancer screenings, having higher medical accessibility due to predictable income, and reduced medical expenses burden through indemnity insurance.

Professor Kang stated, "We confirmed that health inequality clearly exists, with cancer mortality rates differing according to economic status," adding, "Appropriate allocation of limited medical resources and policy-driven and legal national support for health management are necessary."

The study results were published in the latest issue of the international academic journal Journal of Personalized Medicine.