Catastrophic health expenditure refers to when a household spends more than 40 percent of disposable income for out-of-pocketexpenses
for healthcare. This study investigates the percentage of South Korean household which experienced the catastrophic
health expenditure between 2006 and 2016 with the National Survey of Tax and Benefit and the Household Income and Expenditure
Survey data. Percentage of households with the catastrophic health expenditure and tread tests were conducted with weight
variable. The results of the National Survey of Tax and Benefit and the Household Income and Expenditure Survey showed 2.17%
and 2.92% of households experienced the catastrophic health expenditure in 2016. In trend analysis, the National Survey of Tax and
Benefit showed a statistically significant decreasing trend in the proportion of households with the catastrophic health expenditure
(annual percentage change [APC]=-4.03, p<0.0001). However, the Household Income and Expenditure Survey revealed a statistically
significant increasing trend (APC=1.43, p<0.0001). In conclusion, this study suggests that optimal healthcare alternatives are
needed for the catastrophic health expenditure and monitoring low-income households.