ScholarWorks@성균관대학교

초록

Highlights What are the main findings? Healthcare disparities differ across stages of care: single fathers face disadvantages at the initiation stage, whereas single mothers experience greater disadvantages primarily after access to care. Similar probabilities of healthcare utilization do not ensure equal financial protection; single mothers bear the greatest expected medical expenditure due to the combination of higher unmet healthcare needs and higher conditional spending. What are the implications of the main findings? Similar probabilities of healthcare use do not ensure equitable financial protection; disparities are observed across access and post-access stages. Universal coverage must move beyond formal entitlement and incorporate targeted, gender-sensitive policies that mitigate structural vulnerabilities within single-parent households.Highlights What are the main findings? Healthcare disparities differ across stages of care: single fathers face disadvantages at the initiation stage, whereas single mothers experience greater disadvantages primarily after access to care. Similar probabilities of healthcare utilization do not ensure equal financial protection; single mothers bear the greatest expected medical expenditure due to the combination of higher unmet healthcare needs and higher conditional spending. What are the implications of the main findings? Similar probabilities of healthcare use do not ensure equitable financial protection; disparities are observed across access and post-access stages. Universal coverage must move beyond formal entitlement and incorporate targeted, gender-sensitive policies that mitigate structural vulnerabilities within single-parent households.Abstract Background/Objectives: This study examines gender differences in healthcare utilization and financial burden across family structures under Korea's near-universal health insurance system. Methods: Using 2010-2018 Korea Health Panel data, we applied a two-part model to estimate initiation of care, conditional utilization, and expected out-of-pocket expenditures. Results: Single fathers were less likely to initiate care, whereas single mothers had higher unmet needs and substantially greater conditional and expected out-of-pocket spending, with expected expenditures approximately 46% higher than those of two-parent households. Conclusions: We document stage-specific disparities in healthcare utilization and financial burden across family structures even under near-universal coverage, indicating the need for policies that strengthen both access and financial protection for single-parent households.

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