Korean Job Discussion Forums

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Regarding the National Health Insurance, I recently read on another thread:

"There is also something in the NHI that states that if you pay more than 3 million [wan] over three months you dont have to pay any more. However I have never seen this happen."
(To see that post you can go to the top of p.2 of the thread, "Question about health care costs" in the General Discussion forum)

That info struck me as Very important and I'd like some confirmation on it if anyone knows about it. If it is the case, it Completely changes the significance of the 50% co-pay. It means that your maximum liability in any 6 month period is about $3,200 USD. I'd been intimidated by the idea of a 50% co-pay. That's because I usually think of health insurance as catastrophic insurance -- in the event that something really expensive befalls you. 50% of something really expensive could still be really expensive. In contrast, if there's a cap on it of $3,200 USD, that's a much more limited liability. Does anyone know of the rule about that cap -- seen it before, know if it is accurate/correct? Thanks .... mep

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Sorry, I meant your maximum liability in any 3 month period, not 6 month.

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Thanks! I'm reading it. One thing I see is that it says it is for foreigners who intend to stay "for more than one year;" (It's right under "the guide for long stay foreigners and overseas koreans", link on the left of their home page) but I'm confused by that because I thought as of Jan. 2006, all foreigners working there had to be enrolled. What if you don't know whether you'll stay for more than one year? Mep

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Also, this article from their site is strange. It's one of their press releases:

http://www.nhic.or.kr/english/index.html

The first paragraph says that the co-pay for catastrophic illnesses is 53% (it says the "benefit rate" is 47%), and then the 3rd paragraph says the co-pay is 20%! ??

thaitom · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Phopphra, Thailand

I just read this and i'm confused, first it says it is now compulsory for all foreign workers then it says if you have a E-2 it is still voluntary ??

From 1, 2006, the National Health Insurance will be compulsory for all foreign workers in Korea

☞ Because of the amendment of the National Health Insurance Act on Jul. 13, 2005, without relation to the type of Status of Stay, all foreign workers and overseas Koreans who work for an workplace in Korea shall automatically be the employee insured since 1 January, 2006.

If foreign workers made or will make their employment contract with their employer before 1 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured from 1 January, 2006, and if they will make the employment contract with their employer since 2 January, 2006, they will be the employee insured since the first date of employment.

☞ If a foreigner has the following Status of Stay(F1 ~ F5, D1 ~ D9, E1 ~ E5, E7 ~ E Cool

while being excluded from the category of the employee insured, he/she can be the self-employed insured under the National health Insurance on a voluntary basis.

ajuma · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Location: Anywere but Seoul!!

Samantha · Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Location: Jinan-dong Hwaseong

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Ok. So you don't have to "intend to stay for more than one year" to get it?

Mep

mep3 · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Location: no

Oh, also, I found the other statement I'd been asking about. Here it is, also on their official web site:

"And in order to further protect the insured against catastrophic risks, the NHI program has a mechanism, which covers 50% of the co-payment for bills exceeding 1.2 million won during the period of consecutive 30 days. Yet, the mechanism alleviate the burden of payment for patients with high bills only marginally. Taking the case of in-patient services, it is likely that even 50% of the average out-of-pocket expenditure on bills above 1.2 million won is too high a financial burden for low-income individuals.

So the government and NHIC have introduced the Co-payment Ceiling system in 2005. The Ceiling system will serve as a safety net against patients' excessive co-payments under which the patient is exempted from paying further co-payments if his or her co-payments exceed a certain threshold, say, 3 million won within 6 months."

And here's the link:

http://www.nhic.or.kr/english/index.html

I just can't figure out what to make of, "exceed a certain threshold, say, 3 million won within 6 months." What kind of official policy wording is that?? Thx .... Mep