This week’s post is on paying for healthcare in Korea. We’ll discuss the basics of what to know about your health insurance in the country. We’ll cover the options for people living here for some time or just visiting. If you’d like to know more, check out our detailed article here on the subject, or drop us a line on our website!
We know you’re busy. You don’t have time to slog through endless pages of reviews and news articles and anecdotes to find out what you need to know. That’s why we’re here to do the research for you — to comb through, summarize, and bring together all of those hard-won scraps of knowledge to one place. So let’s take a look at who is eligible for health insurance in Korea!
Table of Contents
I’m a foreign resident. How do I pay for healthcare in Korea?
This may come as a surprise, so maybe you should take a seat.
If you’ve been living in Korea for 90 days or more, and you have an Alien Registration Card (ARC) in hand, you’re eligible to join the National Health Insurance program!
If you meet these two simple requirements, you’re eligible for a health plan that covers “health check-ups, tests and diagnosis, treatments, surgeries, preventive care, hospitalization, nursing, rehabilitation and transportation.” (Source: SmartExpat)
I’m a student living and studying here. How should I pay for healthcare in Korea?
Students are also eligible for coverage under the NHI program. Even if they’re here to study, not work, students can still sign up for the NHI plan and be covered, as long as they meet the same requirement as above. Students also may also only need to pay for about 50% of the contribution for the procedure covered by NHI, and as any student knows, discounts are the best part of studying. [Editor’s Note: Do I still carry around my undergraduate ID and hold my thumb over the date? Why yes, yes I do.]
Students may also purchase private health insurance through their universities, but this seems to vary depending on the program and institution, so it’s best to check with your school first about their options before diving into the NHI website. Which, like most websites in Korea, looks like it was designed in 1995 and functions like it was designed in 1905. [Editor’s Note: Korea, we love you, but please stop using Internet Explorer. Please.]
If I’m just traveling for a visit, what can I do to pay for healthcare in Korea?
Unfortunately, visitors staying less than 90 days are not eligible for NHI, and considering the time usually spent in the country on a trip, it wouldn’t make sense to check out the private health insurance options either. So most tourists just buy insurance back home, if they intend to undergo a procedure or seek medical advice here in Korea.
What is private insurance and do I need it to pay for healthcare in Korea?
To put it simply, private insurance exists here to fill in the gaps in NHI coverage. This is either to cover the co-pay contribution you still have to pay when you see a doctor. It can also be used to cover something outside of the NHI plan, like plastic surgery. Koreans tend to have private insurance in addition to belonging to the NHI program for this reason. Foreigners also tend to get private health insurance for other reasons as well. For example, if they have young children who need more frequent care, they will buy private insurance. Another reason is if they or a family member has a chronic condition.
So what do I do if I have more questions? That National Health Insurance website looks confusing…
Well, you can visit a local NHI office in person and try to clarify things. You can also ask us, especially if you’re having trouble communicating with NHI staff, your doctor, or anyone else you may meet in the process of accessing healthcare in Korea.
We’re here to help you with any and every obstacle you might face, so you can contact us on our website or even add us on KakaoTalk and start chatting with us directly. For our KakaoTalk service, just search for “Jivaka Care” in the Contacts section of your account or add us through this link, and ask us anything. You can also send us a message on Facebook Messenger, if Kakao isn’t your thing.
Good luck out there, but remember, we’re here to help. So don’t be shy!
Thanks a lot!
Our pleasure! Hope this article puts the “fun” back in “funding”!
That’s an awful pun…
You’re welcome.
