The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization: evidence from medical claims data in South Korea

This paper examines the dynamic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare utilization and the underlying mechanisms, using high-frequency medical claims data that cover the entire Korean population from 2019 to 2021. By employing an individual fixed-effects model, we show substantial reductions in outpatient visits and hospital admissions during the COVID-19 period. Moreover, we observe that the declines in outpatient visits are more pronounced among children under 20, the higher income group, the unemployed group, and patients with mild illnesses. However, the decreased outpatient visits among children do not appear to be correlated with an increase in ambulatory care sensitive condition (ACSC) hospitalizations. This may suggest a reduction in unnecessary use of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.