Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eac02]

What are your views on national health insurance we are provided? I've heard mixed reviews about it.
Is it enough or do you carry an additional policy in case of an emergency? I'm wondering because I've only had to go the doctor for small things but I know a couple people who had more serious problems and they have little good to say about it.
How does it compare to the insurance in your home country?

Thanks in advance for any/ all responses. And please elaborate below if you can.

[byrddogs]

[red_devil]

As far as getting sick with flu or cold and going in for checkup and getting a prescription it's GREAT. I think for the entire check up plus anti-biotics i paid like $20. Since you can do appointments online and all that, it's very slick system.

[proustme]

[Sadebugo1]

Received a diagnosis for measles, turns out it was chicken pox. Incorrect treatment for three days. Nuff said.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

[byrddogs]

[eac02]

[Mr. Pink]

Here is what I love: lots of little clinics that specialize in areas that back in Canada I would need a referral for, and I would be put on a HUGE waiting list.

When I have a plugged nose and an infection, I can go see a ear, nose, and throat specialist and get all the crap sucked out. I can't put into words how great that feels when you are not able to breath and 10mins later, clear breathing!

Compared to America it probably sucks, but compared to Canada I love having access to specialists.

Another case in point: dermatologists: the one that I had in Canada carved me like a Christmas turkey. In Korea, they have state of the art lasers and are much better.

[Unposter]

There can be a huge difference in quality between smaller cities and larger cities and smaller clinics and large hospitals. Korea's major hospitals are world class.

The most important thing to remember is that if you go to a large hospital without a referal from a local clinic, you will have to pay a surcharge.

Also, if you are diagnosed with a disease, the fee for your care is reduced. But, you have to pay a much higher price until a doctor "diagnoses" you with a problem.

Compared to the U.S., health care costs in Korea are extremely affordable. And, as far as I can tell, there are no shortages of doctors here so you do not have to wait for most/any procedure.

[buji]

are there any problems finding doctors that can communicate with English-speaking foreigners though? no matter how good the system, it's no use if you can't utilize it properly...

[Jane]

OP, do you work for one of Korea's rags or magazines and are probing for info for your next story on Medical Tourism? Just wondering, cuz I've noticed that some issues brought up on Daves become stories shortly after. Therefore, posters beware of what you say as it just might make it into the KH!

[eac02]

[smoggy]

I have a frozen shoulder and partial tear in my rotator cuff. Without insurance, I paid 30,000 for physical therapy, and now I pay 11,000w. I get the tens, heat and the workout of the arm. The therapist also gives me exercises. In the US, the charge was $233 and insurance said the allowable payment was $95.
I'm told that it will take 3 months at 2 times a week. Of course they want to give you cortizone, but in the US, my docs. are against it.

[youtuber]

The quality of care is fine. The coverage is the problem.

Emergency medical insurance (travel insurance) is a must. You can buy this from your travel agent. You can get covered for a year, and then it will run out. Just renew the policy when you go home. It costs about $400 for the year. Canadians can do this. Not sure about Americans.

If you plan on staying a short while, the National Plan plus your travel insurance for the year is sufficient.

The National Plan alone is insufficient. You need the additional emergency coverage.

If you plan on being in Korea for a longer amount of time, well, things get more complicated.

The National Plan only covers some of the costs. If you have a surgery, or cancer, you could potentially pay thousands of dollars and very likely go bankrupt (I paid thousands for my surgeries in Korea). And since most of us will likely become seriously ill in our lives at some point, this is worrisome.

If you are in Korea for a long period of time, Canada may not pay for your chemo drugs if you decide to go back to Canada for treatment. The government may ask to see proof that you have paid taxes (they asked my Aunt before they would pay for her $20,000 chemo drugs). It makes sense. Why should the Canadian government pay for cancer treatment for a non-resident?

So, it would make sense to get some supplementary health insurance (like the Koreans do). For example, many have Samsung's supplementary health insurance. However, as a foreigner on an E2 visa, I don't believe you are allowed to purchase this. Some foreigners do have supplemental insurance, but they are married to Koreans and have a different class of visa than most of us which gives them different rights. By the way, there are "pre-existing condition" clauses in these supplemental policies, so that is another kick in the balls. For example, my K gf couldn't get coverage for a kidney problem since she has had issues with that in the past.

As a general rule, I would say that larger hospitals offer better care, but this is not always the case. They are much more expensive and I have had bad experiences at them as well. The larger hospitals are much more stressful for Koreans to work at, so many surgeons choose to operate their own hospital and potentially make more money. So, there are many skilled surgeons that are in smaller clinics as well.

So, basically, since you are American, if you want to be in Korea for a long time and want decent health coverage, I guess that your only choice would be to marry a Korean so that you can have access to supplementary insurance. But I wish someone on here would prove me wrong. I have never heard of or met anyone on an E2 visa that had supplementary Korean health insurance.

Sadly, I think that the health coverage in Korea is an often overlooked area that most of us only learn about when bad things happen (look to the low number of views on this topic as evidence).