| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:19 pm Post subject: When does your health insurance start? |
 |
|
Hi all.
I've looked for an answer to this question, but most of the links in the FAQ were not working.
I have been here for 2 weeks, got my ARC on March 27th. How/When do I get the National Health Coverage?
Also, since my travel insurance is going to expire this week, where can I get supplementary insurance? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Your employer should enroll you in the National Health Insurance. You are covered retroactive to your first day of work; however, alien registration is a prerequisite to enrollment in the plan. Once you have your ARC, it takes another week or three to process your enrollment in the NHIC and get your Certificate of Insurance (akin to an insurance card, but it's actually a passport-sized "booklet" in a plastic case).
This is all assuming that you work for a reputable employer, of course. If you work for a scumbag hagwon, they probably won't enroll you. You are, nonetheless, legally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance. Details on doing so can be found at http://www.korealawblog.com/entry/enrollment_for_national_medical_insurance_program - you'll also find some discussion of supplemental policies in the comments section of that post. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
MissMaggie
Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Location: Jeju
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I'm with Jeju EPIK. Is it EPIK or the school that must enroll me? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
agoodmouse
Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Location: Anyang
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| It's your school. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| As I understand it, your pay and benefits are handled by the school, not EPIK. Have you tried asking your handler at the school about it? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 7:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| You should get on this right away because if you wait, you'll still have to pay for the days/weeks since you got your ARC even though you weren't covered. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 8:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| You should get on this right away because if you wait, you'll still have to pay for the days/weeks since you got your ARC even though you weren't covered. |
Not true. You are covered retroactively to your first day�that's why you have to pay retroactively. But since the insurance won't pay until you're in the system, you have to submit receipts to be reimbursed for any care you received prior to your enrollment being processed.
You should get on it right away, though. No sense going through the extra step of submitting receipts and waiting for reimbursement if you can avoid it. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
losing_touch
Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Location: Ulsan - I think!
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:27 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Ut videam wrote: |
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| You should get on this right away because if you wait, you'll still have to pay for the days/weeks since you got your ARC even though you weren't covered. |
Not true. You are covered retroactively to your first day�that's why you have to pay retroactively. But since the insurance won't pay until you're in the system, you have to submit receipts to be reimbursed for any care you received prior to your enrollment being processed.
You should get on it right away, though. No sense going through the extra step of submitting receipts and waiting for reimbursement if you can avoid it. |
No, I didn't have to pay retroactively. I don't know what all of this nonsense is about. I didn't have insurance for 6 months (my choice ...). The authorities came down on my boss. I now have it. No retroactive anything. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ut videam
Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Location: Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 4:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
It's not "nonsense." In the normal course of events, it's often not possible to complete NHIC enrollment before the first payday. Thus, your second month's pay will reflect double the normal deduction for health insurance, as they'll deduct for the first month and the second months. This is what happened to me, and I have the printout of my payments to the NHIC to show that it's all on the up-and-up�not nonsense in the least.
losing_touch, the situation you've described is clearly an exception. What I've described is the norm. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rob'sdad
Joined: 12 May 2008
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 2:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ut videam wrote: |
Your employer should enroll you in the National Health Insurance. You are covered retroactive to your first day of work; however, alien registration is a prerequisite to enrollment in the plan. Once you have your ARC, it takes another week or three to process your enrollment in the NHIC and get your Certificate of Insurance (akin to an insurance card, but it's actually a passport-sized "booklet" in a plastic case).
This is all assuming that you work for a reputable employer, of course. If you work for a scumbag hagwon, they probably won't enroll you. You are, nonetheless, legally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance. Details on doing so can be found at http://www.korealawblog.com/entry/enrollment_for_national_medical_insurance_program - you'll also find some discussion of supplemental policies in the comments section of that post. |
That is correct info. You can also return to the Dr. and pharmacists to recoup overpayment in the period between when your employment began an the insurance co. was notified and you were enrolled. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
polonius
Joined: 05 Jun 2004
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2009 10:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ut videam wrote: |
Your employer should enroll you in the National Health Insurance. You are covered retroactive to your first day of work; however, alien registration is a prerequisite to enrollment in the plan. Once you have your ARC, it takes another week or three to process your enrollment in the NHIC and get your Certificate of Insurance (akin to an insurance card, but it's actually a passport-sized "booklet" in a plastic case).
This is all assuming that you work for a reputable employer, of course. If you work for a scumbag hagwon, they probably won't enroll you. You are, nonetheless, legally required to enroll in the National Health Insurance. Details on doing so can be found at http://www.korealawblog.com/entry/enrollment_for_national_medical_insurance_program - you'll also find some discussion of supplemental policies in the comments section of that post. |
Don't mean to nitpick, but you should be technically covered under NHIC from the moment you enter Korea with an E2 visa. And yes, if you need to visit the doctor, and don't have the coverage yet, you will pay the full fee, and can be re-imbursed upon receiving your medical card. You technically need to pay into it from the month you arrive in Korea. They do it on a month basis, so if you land on the 29th of a month, you still need to pay the full months fee. Sucks, but that is the way it works. And if you leave before the end of the month, you still need to pay up until the end of that month. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
