임산부들의 임신출산진료비지원 서비스 (고운맘카드) 이용 경험

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of women for the use of “KoEunMom Card,” which is a service for medical expense aid for pregnant women. Methods: Twenty-four Korean women (average age, 30.57 years; range, 27-36 years) participated in 8 focus groups. Data were collected from June to September 2010. After obtaining permission from the participants, each session of the focus group was audio- taped and transcribed. The responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The main themes of the sessions were “a huge lack of support for medical expenses for pregnancy-related conditions and delivery,” “a hope for a better coverage for medical expenses,” “improvement of the benefits for pregnant women,” “inconvenience caused by the use of the card because of the spending limits per use and the restricted expense coverage.” Although most of the participants positively perceived the benefits of “KoEunMom card” service, they stated that the service was not adequate, because it did not cover all medical expenses for prenatal care or delivery. Moreover, the service was unfeasible because of the complicated procedure involved in issuing of the card, the spending limit per use, and the restricted expense coverage. Conclusion: An increase and expansion of the range of benefits will lower the burden of medical expenses for pregnant women during pregnancy and around the time of delivery. In addition, the feasibility of the use of the card should be increased by simplifying the registration process and expanding the range of options to allow the users to claim their medical expenses.